Starbright
by occultmagic
Summary: The 'Cure' isn't quite so permanent and Magneto is ready to revolt once again. The Xmen are there to face him but little do they know that a worse threat is waiting in the shadows, and they will have to join forces or face being destroyed. Post X3
1. A Girl Called Jack

Ok, this is my first step into an entirely new world for me. Done Harry Potter and Doctor Who, but I've never tried Xmen before. This little plot idea has been attacking me relentlessly since I saw the third movie, so I had to write it. I only know what is shown in the movies, and odd bits from the cartoons, so if it is in anyway innaccurate to the comics or anything sorry about that!

Reviews make my day, so please review! And I don't mind critisms, as long as they are constructive, I am just trying to be a better writer after all.

Hope you enjoy the story :)

* * *

Six months had passed. Six long months. Most of the time had been spent playing chess in the park, quite a lot in forests, hiding from the world, gradually building up power.

The cure they had called it. A permanent cure. It seemed nature had outdone science once again.

Eric Lensherr sat in what remained of his mutant outpost with a self-satisfied smile on his face. He was better known to the world as Magneto, but recently he had been going by Eric more often. He let the four cars drop to the ground with a low chuckle. With the return of his powers he would start going by Magneto once again.

In the months that had passed, he had turned this place – once a campsite for mutant outlaws – into a training ground. Alongside the four cars he had had Pyro steal, were a more traditional set of weights, some iron bars (the huge industrial kind used in the construction of skyscrapers) and various other metallic goodies, all for the stretching and improvement of his newly awakened powers.

"Callisto!" he called, not rising from the makeshift seat he was sat in, slouched backwards like he was sat on a throne, not two logs precariously brought together to make some sort of chair, "I do believe their so-called cure has worn off entirely. Are you able to locate an old friend for me?"

* * *

Xavier's school for the gifted felt empty. With the loss of first Scott, then the Professor and Jean, the teaching staff had been reduced by half. And it wasn't exactly like Logan was up to much teaching. With Kurt back in Germany for the foreseeable future, that left Storm in a very difficult position. She had been entrusted to run the school, and she didn't feel she was doing the Professor justice. 

"I just don't know what to do, Hank!" she said, tearing at her hair as she paced round the office, "Even with the general acceptance of Mutants nowadays, I still get more and more kids coming because they feel safe here. It's what the Professor would have wanted, and I'm more than happy to take them on, I just don't have the staff!"

"You shouldn't worry so much, a solution will present itself," Hank said, smoothing his blue fur as he tried to think of one.

"None of these kids are being taught anything – I can only be so many places at once, and Logan is as unhelpful as ever," Storm continued fretting.

"What about some of the older kids?" Hank asked, "Bobby and Peter, Rogue."

"Bobby and Kitty have been taking some of the younger kids lessons, teaching them basics in math, science, but they're barely out of childhood themselves, it's expecting too much of them."

"What about Warren? A young man from such an accomplished family must have at least a college education."

"He's not overly confident about standing in front of a bunch of kids, but he helps where he can, but that's two people, Hank, three when Logan pulls the cigar out of his mouth and mucks in with the rest of us."

"Perhaps you should think about advertising," a new voice said from the doorway.

A woman with black hair dressed in smart clothes, holding a small handbag stood in the entrance to the office. She smiled at Storm and Hank before inviting herself in.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Storm asked, looking at the newcomer with a mix of suspicion and interest.

"Many times," she said, "though I must admit never usually in this form."

She smiled and her eyes flickered yellow for a moment.

"Mystique!" Storm said, instantly on guard, "What are you doing here."

"Let's just say I had an epiphany," Mystique settled herself into a chair, "Six months ago I took a bullet intended for Magneto. I would have willingly given my life for him and didn't hesitate in putting myself between him and his attacker. Unfortunately I didn't get shot with a normal bullet. It would have been a lot less painful if I had."

She looked down at her fingers, admiring her nails for a moment in attempt to hide a flicker of pain that crossed her face.

"I was shot with one of the miraculous 'cure' bullets, and soon reverted back to a normal human. My loyalty and friendship to Magneto, the sacrifice I had made for him suddenly meant nothing. He left me on the truck where I was shot, simply telling me I was now one of _them_, the enemy. He didn't even give me a cloak to cover myself. Naturally, I wasn't about to come running back to him. I even told the government where his base was. The secret one in the forest?"

Storm nodded to show she remembered.

"I helped the government stop him, because I realised that day that he really was crazy. His hatred for the human race overrode any friendship we shared instantly."

"Why are you telling us this?" Storm asked.

"Because," Mystique paused, "I don't know if you know yet, but the cure is not so permanent."

She suddenly switched back to the appearance Storm knew so well. Blue scaled skin, bright red hair and glowing yellow eyes contrasted against white teeth, revealed in a grin of malice.

"It's only a temporary fix, Magneto will get his power back," she said.

"Once he realises, he'll come looking for you," Storm said.

"And you think I'll go back to him? After he betrayed me? I am not a lovesick girl," Mystique protested, "I want to help you stop him, should he get any ideas."

She switched back to looking like her human self.

"In the meantime, I know computers – do you have a vacancy for an IT teacher?"

* * *

Pyro swaggered up to Xavier's mansion and watched from outside the gates. Mystique was here, Callisto had been quite adamant about it. The X-men must have captured her, and held her against her will. It was Pyro's job to investigate. 

He walked in with no hesitation. No one was likely to question his presence, except perhaps Bobby and his stupid girlfriend. Rogue the coward who gave up her powers. Pyro wondered if she had realised they would come back yet.

"Pyro!" Callisto appeared at his side from nowhere, "Change of plan. Magneto wants prisoners. If the X-men think they can capture one of us, we'll take two of them."

"Why don't we just storm the place and get Mystique out?" Pyro demanded.

"Two of us, against all of them?" Callisto said, "Grow a brain!"

"I could take them!" Pyro said, flaring up one of his hands.

"No!" Callisto said, "Not all of them. Maybe those two," she said with a grin, nodding towards Bobby and Rogue, who were so absorbed in each other they hadn't even noticed the two strangers stood at the gate.

"Bobby and Rogue?" Pyro said, raising an eyebrow, "No problem."

"Then let's go!" Callisto said, zipping away at lightening speed.

* * *

"You know," Bobby said, turning to Rogue, holding her hands in his, "You didn't have to do this, I would have stayed with you no matter what, but, I'm glad you did." 

"Me too," Rogue said, enjoying the feeling of his skin on hers.

She licked her lips with her tongue, biting at them nervously as he lowered his head to kiss her. She had been kissing him for the better part of six months, but she still got a little nervous sometimes, worrying that she might start to hurt him again.

"Sorry to spoil the moment!" a familiar voice said from behind her.

"John!" she said as she was grabbed round the waist by Pyro, ex-student turned Magneto's crony.

Callisto took Bobby, punching him hard in the face. He was out cold before he had even realised someone was there.

"Bobby!" Rogue shrieked as he fell to the floor in a heap.

"Too easy," she said, picking him up, "You got her?"

"Yep," Pyro said, holding Rogue despite her desperate struggling. He took something out of his pocket and held it over her face. After a moment she was out cold like her boyfriend. Pyro smiled to himself and nodded to Callisto.

"Let's go then."

* * *

Magneto was meditating to himself, sat on his seat in the centre of the clearing. In his mind he could almost hear a relaxing piece of classical music, and with his eyes closed he could almost see Charles sat in front of him, deliberating his next move in the game of chess they were playing. 

"Nice place," an unfamiliar female voice said, and the image of Charles faded and the music stopped abruptly.

Magneto opened his eyes to see a skinny girl stood before him, leaning casually against a tree. Her hair was long, brown and somewhat straggly, her eyes a startling shade of green. She was wearing a pair of baggy dungarees over a small, tight fitting t-shirt. The shoes poking out of the bottom of her trousers were big walking boots, the laces untied. Her skin was tan, her face dotted with freckles and she wore bangles on her wrists and a necklace with a strange symbol around her neck. She looked almost like a conventional teenager, but there was something not quite right about her.

"And who might you be?" Magneto asked.

"You can call me Jack," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Jack? What sort of a name is that for a young lady?" Magneto asked with a smile.

"I never said it was my name, I just said you could call me that," Jack said.

Magneto emitted another low chuckle and sat up a little straighter to get a better look at her.

"And what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Just walking," she said, "You live here?"

"Not exactly," Magneto said, "I come here to relax."

"Well, the countryside is pretty relaxing," Jack said, "But what's with all the dead cars?"

"That's for me to know, my dear," Magneto said, tapping the side of his nose.

He was just about to stand up when Pyro and Callisto suddenly appeared, with Bobby and Rogue unconscious in their arms. Pyro dumped Rogue on the floor before stepping between Magneto and Jack, like the protective bodyguard he believed himself to be.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"No need for the hostility pretty boy," Jack answered.

Pyro lit both his hands and held them out threateningly, but she didn't seem at all perturbed.

"Cool trick," she said.

"Oh yeah? This one's even better," Pyro said, shooting the flames out towards her like a flamethrower.

Jack held out her hand in front of her and the flames stopped short more than a metre from her body, battering against some sort of invisible shield.

"I said no need for the hostility," she yelled above the noise of the fire, "Sheesh, I was just talking to Gramps here, no need to grill me!"

"His name isn't _Gramps_," Pyro said, offended at such insolence for his mentor. Magneto merely chuckled again, thoroughly amused by the girl's antics.

"What is his name then?" she asked.

"You can call me Magneto," Magneto said. Jack laughed.

"What sort of parents would name their kid Magneto?" she said, holding back another burst of laughter.

"I never said it was my name, I just said you could call me that," Magneto said with a wry smile, "Callisto, Pyro, meet Jack. I think she's going to be a fine addition to the team."

* * *


	2. Hostages

I forgot to mention on the last chapter that I am actually British, so there might be a couple little details that are a bit out, like on locations, place names and general speech. My knowledge of America is restricted to what I've seen on the telly. I did visit Los Angeles once, but I was about five, so I don't remember it too well...

Also, I know the characters on this are labelled as Angel and Rogue, but that doesn't make this an AngelRogue story! They are just two of the main characters besides Jack.

* * *

"So, what's your power?" Pyro asked Jack as they sat around the fire he had just lit, cooking some basic camping food, "Telekinesis?" 

"Yeah, that's right," Jack said vaguely, serving herself some food.

Night had fallen and Magneto had decided it would be best if they all camped in the clearing. Callisto was sat with Magneto, leaving Pyro and Jack on their own.

"What happened to your friends?" Jack asked, nodding towards Bobby and Rogue who were still unconscious.

"Friends?" Pyro asked with sarcasm, "Ch! Don't insult me. Bobby Drake and his little girlfriend Rogue are hostages."

"Hostages?" Jack asked.

"They come from an establishment called Xavier's School for the Gifted, Mutants in other words. It's over in Westchester, not too far from here, and they have something we want. So, we took something they might want so that we can swap and everyone will be happy."

"I think believing everyone will be happy is a bit optimistic," Jack said.

"Well, maybe I exaggerated," Pyro said impatiently, "So, what's your real name?" he asked after a moment.

"What's yours?" she asked back.

Pyro's lips curled in distaste. He decided he didn't much like this Jack, she was too cocky for her own good. Didn't she know who she was talking to? He was Pyro, the mutant responsible for the attacks on multiple buildings and establishments, notably the labs responsible for making the 'cure'. He should smack that arrogant little smirk right off her face…

A movement behind him distracted him from thoughts of hitting her. Rogue was waking up.

* * *

On the other side of the clearing, Magneto was talking to Callisto. 

"I don't like her," she said, referring to Jack.

"Why ever not? I found her a charming individual," Magneto said with a smile, "Somebody more than capable of keeping young Pyro occupied in the very least."

"I can't see her," Callisto said.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't sense her," Callisto elaborated, "Right now I can sense four Mutants other than myself in this clearing, the girl – her signal is weak, she must have taken a shot of the 'cure', but it's there. This _Jack_, well, if it weren't for that little display before when we showed up, I would have told you she was human."

"Perhaps she's just such a low level you can barely sense her," Magneto suggested.

"No, to have held off that kind of blast from Pyro requires a significant amount of power. You're talking level three and up. I should be able to sense her clear as daylight."

"There are many things in this world that we are unable to explain, and this is probably one of them. If it makes you feel better, watch her closely by all means," Magneto spoke dismissively, like he thought Callisto's concerns would amount to nothing.

His tone made Callisto feel stupid, and she didn't like that.

* * *

"Well, good evening sweetheart, nice of you to join us!" Pyro sauntered over to Rogue, "Jack, meet Rogue the coward who gave up her power for a boy…" 

"Doesn't sound cowardly to me," Jack said, sitting down casually on the ground near where Rogue was tied up.

"Pyro!" Magneto called out, "I should think the X-men will have realised what they're missing by now, time to go and bargain with them."

"If you're after Mystique she won't go back with you!" Rogue said, defiance burning in her eyes, "She's not being held captive – she came to the mansion by her own free will!"

"Nonsense," Magneto said, "Why would she do a thing like that?"

"Because you betrayed her!" Rogue said.

"Well, we'll see about that," Magneto said, his voice low and angry, "Pyro! We're leaving."

"What about these two?" Pyro nodded towards Bobby and Rogue.

"Jack can watch them," Magneto said.

Jack knew it wasn't an offer, it was an order.

"Sure, whatever," she said.

"Then let's go," Magneto flicked his cloak and walked off with Callisto on one side, Pyro on the other.

"Are you hungry?" Jack asked, bringing over some food and drink for Rogue, and Bobby when he stirred.

"Who are you?" Rogue's voice was full of suspicion and dislike.

"Nobody in particular," Jack replied.

"What sort of a name is Jack for a girl?" Rogue asked.

"What sort of a name is Rogue?" Jack replied.

She reached in one of her pockets and pulled out a penknife. Rogue looked at it nervously and shuffled away. Jack watched her actions with an amused smile, then cut her hands free. She flicked the knife shut and handed Rogue a tray of food.

"It's hardly a delicacy," she said, "In fact, I would say it only just manages edible, but it's food."

Rogue cautiously took a bite. On deciding it wasn't poisonous she quickly ate the rest, washing it down with a drink of water Jack handed her.

"Who's this Mystique then?" Jack asked, "The way Pyro was going on about you it sounded like you had done something bad."

"Oh come on, everyone knows what Magneto is like, surely you didn't think he had actually been wronged," Rogue said, "he had Pyro kidnap me and Bobby from school."

"Well, he hadn't given me any reason not to trust his intentions," Jack said with a shrug.

"This is the man who tried to wage war on the human race, and you say he didn't give you any reason to mistrust him?" Rogue was incredulous.

"I didn't know about that," Jack said. Rogue could tell she was telling the truth. There was a very innocent honesty about her.

"Where are you from?" Rogue asked.

"A long way away," Jack said.

"Are you British? You sound British."

"Yeah," Jack said.

"Wow, that is a long way away!" Rogue said, "What's it like in Britain, I've never been."

"Well, pretty much like it is here, minus the strange playground Magneto has created," Jack said.

Rogue laughed a little nervously, like she was trying really hard to still be suspicious of Jack but couldn't quite manage it.

"My name is Marie," she said after a moment.

"Nice to meet you," Jack said with a smile.

She took out the knife again and motioned for Rogue to move herself sideways a little, so she could cut her loose completely. Unfortunately, Bobby chose that moment to wake up, and on seeing a strange girl advancing on Rogue with a knife, jumped to all the wrong conclusions.

"Rogue!" he said, yanking his hand against his ties and firing a blast of ice at Jack.

"Bobby no!" Rogue yelled, but the ice wasn't getting anywhere near Jack, it stopped short of her.

"Telekinetic," she said with a shrug as Bobby withdrew his icy blast, looking between Rogue and Jack with confusion.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Bobby this is Jack," Rogue said, "She was just going to cut me loose from this tree."

"Oh," Bobby said, looking a bit embarrassed, "Sorry."

"No worries," Jack said with a shrug, and cut his hands loose for him. His desperate wrench to protect Rogue had twisted his hands into a very uncomfortable position.

"Why are you setting us free if you're with Magneto?" Bobby asked.

"Because I've decided that Magneto isn't exactly the nicest person," Jack said as she cut Rogue loose.

"And you didn't know that already?" Bobby asked.

"She's British," Rogue said as though that explained everything.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Jack said, standing up and brushing herself down, "You've changed my mind, and now we have to get out of here."

She held out her hand to help Rogue up. Rogue smiled and took it, pulling herself upright. At first everything was fine, but when Rogue came to let go of Jack's hand she found she couldn't. Her whole arm was filled with the most intense pins and needles she had ever experienced and she couldn't control it.

On her face, thick black lines throbbing like veins had appeared. Her expression was caught between surprise and fear.

To Jack and Rogue it felt like ages, but the whole thing was over in less than a second, when Rogue collapsed backwards and Jack flinched away, shaking her hand like she had been electrocuted.

"Ouch! What the hell was that?" she asked, nursing her limp hand.

Bobby dashed forwards and grabbed Rogue before she crashed completely to the floor.

"It's her power!" Bobby said, "The cure she took must be wearing off!"

"We'll have to carry her," Jack said.

"Don't touch her skin!" Bobby said, wrapping his arms round Rogue defensively.

"Not making that mistake again," Jack said, shaking out her hand again, before furtively helping Bobby lift the unconscious Rogue up.

"How far is it to Westchester?" Jack asked as they carried Rogue between them a few metres.

"Not so far," Bobby said, "But it might be quite a trek if we have to carry her all the way."

"Can you drive?"

* * *

Magneto marched up to the gates with Callisto and Pyro, throwing them open with his magnetic power. 

"Welcome back," Callisto said.

"Good to be back, my dear."

What remained of the Brotherhood walked down the gravel path, Magneto with his cloak flaring out behind him (he no longer wore the helmet – with both Charles and Jean dead he didn't feel the need), Pyro with his trademark swagger, and Callisto watching all around, like a predator.

Storm was the one who saw them first.

"Logan, get Mystique! We've got trouble," she said to Wolverine, who was enjoying a cigar in her office.

Reluctantly he took to his feet and went off to find the shapeshifter. Storm ran the opposite way down the corridor to find Warren and Hank.

The X-men outnumbered the Brotherhood two to one as they marched down the pathway to meet them, but that didn't stop Storm being nervous. She tried to look powerful and in control as she came to face Magneto, but it was hard to be convincing to someone else when she wasn't convinced herself.

"Magneto," she said, "I presume you are responsible for the kidnap of Bobby and Rogue."

Her arms were folded across her chest and her stance was defensive. Magneto chuckled.

"You've been working too hard, Storm, you look tired," he said, "Don't make more work for yourself now, you know what I'm here for. Give me back Mystique and I'll give you back Rogue and Bobby."

"Who says I want to go with you?"

Mystique had been hiding behind Warren and Hank. She sidled out between them to face Magneto. She chose to face him in her human form.

"Mystique, you don't mean to say Rogue was telling the truth and you've changed your ways?" Magneto sounded like he was trying to keep his voice under control.

"You changed them for me," Mystique said, "If you can't respect me like this, then I want nothing more to do with you."

"The cure, it's only temporary," Magneto said, "Soon you won't even be like that any more."

Mystique fixed him with a withering smile.

"I know," she said, switching back to her usual appearance, "and I'm still not coming with you."

"Then we shall have to keep Bobby and Rogue until such a time that you change your mind…" Magneto threatened icily.

"Well that's only any good if you have Bobby and Rogue in the first place."

The Brotherhood and the X-men turned to face the source of the voice, a girl in baggy dungarees.

"I thought I told you to watch them?" Magneto said.

"I did, I watched them all the way here," she replied, "turns out you kidnapped two people and had intentions to kidnap a third. I thought I'd level the playing field a little."

"What's this, Eric, another of your 'Brotherhood' turning against you?" Mystique drawled with amusement.

"Well, I wouldn't say I was turning against him," the girl said, "Considering I wasn't really with him – just exploring the options. I must say, Magneto, this lot do score better points than you for location. The forest hideout has its charm, but it doesn't really beat a mansion."

Storm and the other X-men watched the exchange with bemusement. Logan was regarding the newcomer with interest (not many people had the nerve to stand up to Magneto like that, and very few of them were young, skinny females) when he felt a sharp tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Bobby.

"It's Rogue," he said, "she's hurt."

Logan nodded and slipped away while Magneto's attention was still on the newcomer.

"Who's gobby?" Logan asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"That's Jack, I don't really know," Bobby said with a shrug, "I spent most of the time unconscious."

"Jack?" Logan raised an eyebrow, "What happened to Rogue?"

"I don't know. Her powers came back, and I think the shock of it knocked her out, or something…"

Logan knelt beside the car Rogue was lying in, still out cold. He lifted her free of it and carried her back over towards the mansion. He was about halfway when he felt the familiar grind of his body coming to a halt against his will.

"Going somewhere with my hostage?" Magneto said.

Instantly the X-men were on guard, Storm brewing up some lightening, Bobby holding his hands out ready, Beast in fighting pose. But the Brotherhood were there to meet them, Pyro with his fire, Callisto preparing to fight.

"Warren," Storm said, "Get Rogue safe."

Warren nodded, and with a beat of his huge wings was beside Logan. He removed the unconscious girl from his arms and flew her back to the mansion.

"Don't do this Eric," Mystique said.

"Then come with me…" Magneto sounded jolly, but there was an undercurrent of venom to his voice, "And you!" he turned to Jack, "You need to decide whose side you are on, and fast."

Jack raised her hand and it started glowing green. A beam of energy shot from her wrist, encompassing Magneto. It stopped him moving except his eyes which were looking round frantically, trying to decipher his new predicament. Jack met his eyes coolly and with a wave of her arm she sent him flying away, the energy emanating from her hands lifting Magneto with no effort.

"Hope that clears up any doubts you might have had," Jack said nonchalantly.

Pyro and Callisto looked around, ready to fight, but without their leader soon lost their nerve and ran. They knew there was next to no chance they would beat the X-men outnumbered like they were.

"How pathetic," Logan said, reaching in his pocket for another cigar.

* * *

Please review! Xx 


	3. Welcome To Xavier's

* * *

Storm placed a reassuring hand on Bobby's shoulder as they left Rogue with Hank in the medical rooms below the mansion.

"She'll be fine," She said, steering the young man towards the main school area.

"She's in a coma…" Bobby said desolately.

"Hank says that you are probably right – it's probably just the shock of her powers suddenly returning after six months of oppression after the cure, and that sudden intake of energy was enough to knock her out. She'll be up and about in a day or so, I'm sure," Storm was aware she sounded like she was trying to convince herself. She was doing a lot of that lately.

* * *

Warren sat in Storm's office, watching the newcomer, or rather she was watching him. Her brilliant green eyes examined him from their perch, as though she could read what he was thinking just by looking at him. Though of course in the world of Mutants that wasn't such an impossibility.

Through all his years of hiding his 'condition', as his father had called it, he had always been very uncomfortable with people looking at him, but here sat in Storm's office with this strange girl staring quite blatantly at him, he didn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he might. The positive influence of Xavier's school was starting to affect him.

"So, where are you from?" Warren asked, breaking the silence that had been hanging over the room since they arrived there.

"Britain," the girl replied.

"Where abouts in Britain?" Warren asked, "England, Wales?"

"England."

"Are you going to be any more specific?"

"I don't even know you," she didn't sound guarded or defensive. She was just plainly stating the obvious with the same light manner she had confronted Magneto with.

"Well, I was trying to remedy that," Warren said, "having a conversation is tricky when you only get one word answers."

"Are you a teacher here?" the girl asked, completely ignoring his last statement.

"That's right, though I'm not much older than some of the students… I'm just filling in really, until they can get more qualified help."

"What do you teach?"

"English Literature."

"Shouldn't that be American Literature?" the girl asked with a wry smile.

"The English refers to the language, not the country, though at the moment we are studying an American novel," Warren said, "Do you like reading?"

"I like stories," the girl replied.

"What's your favourite subject then?" Warren wasn't sure how old the girl was. She looked to be about nineteen, the same age as Rogue and Bobby and the other older kids, which of course meant she may well have left school years ago. However, with her being so hazy on details about her home, it was the only talking point Warren could think of.

"I don't know," the girl said with a shrug, "Nothing that involves numbers – I hate math."

"Don't you call it maths in England?" Warren questioned. The girl shrugged again.

"I'm just trying to fit in," she said.

"Well, even with a Mutant in the government and a president who understands us, this is probably the only place in America where you will fit in," he said

"I wouldn't mind if it was."

They fell into silence again, the girl staring out of the window onto the school grounds. Warren sat forwards in his chair to take a better look at her now she wasn't watching him. She looked to be in need of a good meal, but otherwise fit and well. Her pose as she sat on the desk was casual and confident but not cocky.

On a psychological level, Warren was very intrigued by her. Most mutants he had met were shy, reserved with a low self-esteem and often serious personal issues. Half the kids in the school were runaways, with many of the others lying their way in, telling their parents it was some sort of exclusive school that they had been invited to attend, rather than face the shame of telling their parents the truth. Then there were the self-promoting mutants who dealt with their differences and general rejection from the rest of society by developing a superiority complex and believing themselves to be better than the rest of the world. This girl didn't seem to fall into either category, and it was refreshing to see someone truly at peace with herself.

* * *

Storm and Bobby separated once they got back into the main school area, Bobby heading towards his room, Storm heading back towards her office. Halfway there she came across Logan.

"Is she going to be ok?" He asked.

"I don't know, Logan, Hank is with her now checking her condition," Storm said wearily, "We should know for definite in an hour or so…"

"Storm," Logan grabbed her by the arm, "Stop, rest for ten minutes at least."

"I can't, there's too much to do around here," Storm said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, and you won't be able to do any of it if you wear yourself out," he said, "Look, I know you want this place to live up to everything Xavier wanted it to be, but you aren't going to be letting the old man down if you take your mind off things for a while and have a good rest."

"Are you preaching to me, Logan?" Storm asked with the hint of a smile, "I didn't think you cared that much."

"I like you to think that," Logan said, "It keeps you on your toes."

Storm smiled properly, with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"That's better," Logan said, "Now, go introduce yourself to Jack, then rest that pretty head of yours before you go even more grey than you already are!"

"Jack?" Storm asked.

"That's what Bobby called her," Logan said with a shrug, then headed off towards his room.

Storm continued on to her office, pausing briefly at the door to brush herself down and straighten out her hair before entering.

In her office, Warren was perched on a chair, his majestic wings spread out behind him, watching the new girl, who had made herself very at home sat on Storm's desk.

"Hi there," Storm said, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

The girl stood up and turned to face her.

"Is Rogue ok?" she asked.

"She's… not, not at the moment," Storm said, "But she will be, in a few days time."

Jack nodded, relief crossing her face.

"I thought I'd hurt her," she said, "As it was when she grabbed my hand that she collapsed. Bobby explained in the car about her power, but I still feel kind of responsible."

"Don't," Storm said, "It wasn't your fault, whatever happened. You brought them back safe, and that's all that matters."

"It wasn't exactly hard," she said, "Magneto is a little too trusting."

"He's just not used to people standing up to him," Storm said, "But that's not what I came here to talk about."

She rubbed her hands together in a business like manner and walked round to sit at her desk, motioning for Jack to take a seat in front.

"I'll leave you ladies to it," Warren said, nodding briefly to Storm before leaving the room. Jack watched him until he had shut the door behind him.

"I trust you've already spoken to Professor Worthington?" Storm said, attracting her attention back over to the desk.

"He didn't tell me his name," Jack said.

"Well, he is Warren Worthington, the third to be exact, and one of the teachers here," Storm said, "We only have a few members of staff at the moment – we've suffered three losses in the last year, and another left to return home. The others are Professor Raven Darkholme, or Mystique as you know her."

"Magneto's old friend," Jack said with a nod.

"She teaches Computing," Storm continued, "Then we have Professor Hank McCoy, who teaches the sciences, mainly biology, Professor Logan, who doesn't really teach anything – he just helps here and there when he can be bothered, and last of all, myself. I am Professor Ororo Munroe, and I teach History, but I am also acting as Headmistress to this place. Now, I'm assuming you want to stay here?"

"If you'll have me," Jack replied.

"Well, you're a mutant, presumably a runaway, so you more than qualify," Storm said, "I just need to ask you a few questions for our records. Only tell me as much as you want to, but the more you can say the easier it is for us. Firstly, what's your name, or what would you like to be called?"

"Jack," she said.

"Jack…"

"Just Jack."

"Ok," Storm said, noting it down, "Now I need to work out what class you would be in, if you want to be in a class at all that is?"

"I'm game," Jack said.

"Ok then, so, the class I put you in won't depend on age so much as ability – a lot of the kids who come here have really patchy schooling and need to be put in a lower class for the first term or so to cover the basics before moving up to a more appropriate level for their age. Now, you look to be about eighteen, nineteen?"

"Nineteen," Jack said.

"Then you are age-wise in a group with Bobby, Rogue, Peter and the other older students. Do you feel confident about your level of education? Think you would be ok to go straight into their class?"

"I think so," Jack replied.

"Ok, I'll try you out on their level, but if you find yourself struggling at all, there is no shame in moving down a class for a few weeks until you find your level," Storm said kindly, "Now, one last thing. Your powers."

"Well, Pyro called it telekinesis, but I don't know if that's right," Jack said.

"Can you move objects with your mind? Without touching them?" Storm asked.

"Not really," Jack said, "I can push things away, lift them up, but I can't bring them closer."

She demonstrated, shooting the same green energy from her hands that she had used on Magneto towards a paperweight. She lifted it and pushed it away, moved it around by moving her arm, but she couldn't draw it towards herself.

"Well, that's some kind of energy projection," Storm said, "Does it have a limit? How much can you carry, and how far can you propel it away?"

"It depends how heavy it is," Jack shrugged, "People, no problem, but I've never really pushed it much further than that."

"Right," Storm said, noting something down on the file, "Anything else?"

"I have this sort of shield, thing," Jack said, "Throw something at me and I'll demonstrate."

She stood up and walked backwards. Storm picked up the paperweight and threw it over towards her. It got about a metre away and bounced off an invisible shield. Before it could hit the ground and shatter, Jack caught it with her green energy rays and levitated it back over to the table.

"Ok," Storm said, finishing her notes with a final flourish, "That's just about everything I need to ask, unless you want to tell me anything about your family, where you used to live?"

Jack shook her head. Very few of the students went on to answer the last few questions on the file. Storm was a little disappointed – she almost thought Jack would. Her ease of self obviously wasn't as deep-rooted as it appeared to be.

"Well, never mind, if you at any time change your mind, let me know, but otherwise, welcome to Xavier's school for the gifted!"

* * *

Please review:)


	4. Shopping

Hello there! Thanks for all the lovely reviews, here's the next chapter!

* * *

Rogue surprised everybody by waking up later that day a bit groggy, but otherwise fine. She was also surprisingly accepting about the return of her powers. 

"I never felt like they had truly gone away," she said, "I was always worried they would emerge again."

She was a little apprehensive about Bobby and what his reaction to it might be, but after he showered her with attention all afternoon, constantly going on about his relief that she was ok, she stopped worrying about it. He was clearly here to stay, powers or not.

With classes starting up again the next day, Rogue and the other girls were keen to get Jack up to speed on everything, from classmates to teachers.

"I'm Kitty, Shadowcat is my X-name, I can walk through walls," Kitty introduced herself to Jack, "Nice to meet you."

"And you," Jack said.

"The boys over there are Bobby, who you know already, and Peter," Kitty said, going clockwise round the room introducing everyone, "That little kid reading in the corner is Jimmy, he's pretty new too. Um, that's Jubilee and that's…"

Jack quickly got overwhelmed by all the names, but Kitty and Rogue promised that she'd soon catch up.

"You're in our class, so we'll show you round, make sure you get to the right rooms and everything," Rogue said.

"We have a good day tomorrow – first lesson off because they don't have a math teacher anymore," Kitty said, "Then we have biology with Dr. McCoy, but he won't be here because he has to do something with the government…"

"So we thought we'd take you shopping, get you some stuff," Rogue said, "We haven't asked Storm for permission yet, but she should be ok with it."

"I don't have any money to buy anything," Jack said.

"That's alright," Kitty said with a smile, "Each new student here who comes as a runaway gets a small grant to buy clothes and things with. It's only a bit, but it will be enough to get you a wardrobe sorted out."

"And each student who doesn't keep in touch with their parents gets an allowance, but you want to be careful spending that, it has to last you all term," Rogue said.

"You don't really spend much though, given that we get free food and board here," Kitty said.

"So what other lessons do we have tomorrow?" Jack asked, turning the conversation away from shopping.

"Double History with Storm, then English Lit with Professor Worthington," Rogue said.

"Why do you call her Storm, not Professor Munroe?" Jack asked.

"We should call her Professor really," Kitty said, "Storm is her X-name."

"And what's an X-name?"

"It's like a code name, from when people were really against mutants and we didn't want anyone to know who we were," Rogue said, "Storm's relates to her power – she can control the weather."

"That explains Pyro and Magneto…" Jack said, "So what are you studying in History and English at the moment?"

"We're about to start something new in English, so that was good timing," Kitty said, "and in History we are doing the American West. It's really boring, I hate history. She just stands at the front and talks our ears off about pioneers and Mormons."

"She likes English Lit though, that's her favourite lesson…" Rogue said teasingly.

"Shut up, Rogue!" Kitty said, blushing.

"Kitty likes Professor Worthington," Rogue mock whispered to Jack, not making any effort to make sure Kitty couldn't hear.

"No I don't! Ok, yes I do, but that's not the reason I like English Lit," Kitty said.

"It so is," Rogue taunted, a wide grin on her face, "Well," she said a little more seriously, "I can't really blame you – he is good looking."

"He's _gorgeous_!" Kitty said as Rogue laughed out loud.

"I told you," Rogue said to Jack.

"Don't you think he's gorgeous, Jack?" Kitty asked, her eyes pleading for help.

"I never really noticed," Jack said.

* * *

Storm was happy to give the girls permission to go shopping the next morning. It did them good to get out of the mansion occasionally, and Jack did need some new clothes. They caught the bus into the city and headed straight for Kitty and Rogue's favourite shopping centre. Jack followed them around all day, letting them practically buy her wardrobe for her. 

At about ten they stopped for a break in a coffee shop, admiring each other's purchases while having a refreshing drink.

"So, what do you think of Xavier's so far?" Kitty asked Jack.

"I like it, nice people, nice place," she said.

"And nice teachers," Rogue said, nudging Kitty.

"Can we stop bringing that up already?" Kitty said, trying to hide her blushing face with her hand.

Jack grinned and Rogue burst out laughing.

"I'm not going to be able to concentrate in English now," Kitty moaned, "You'll keep making me laugh."

Did you ever pay much attention in the first place?" Rogue asked.

"Yes!" Kitty said indignantly.

"What to, though?" Jack asked, making Rogue burst into fresh fits of hysterics.

"Oh, leave me alone!" Kitty said, but she was grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

"You wanted to speak to me Henry?" the President said as he left the conference room after another boring and unsuccessful meeting. 

"Yes, in private, if you can spare a moment," Hank said.

"I can always spare a moment for you," the President said, walking into a small office room and shutting the door behind him, "So, what is this about?"

"It's about the proposed World Summit at the end of the month," Hank said.

"Isn't everything at the moment…" the President said with a degree of impatience Henry knew wasn't aimed at him.

"I understand you are to discuss the issues of safety against criminal mutants."

"It was one of the items on the agenda, yes," the President said.

"Then you should know that the 'cure', is not as permanent as Mr. Worthington Sr. liked to believe."

"What are you saying, Henry?"

"I'm saying that all those Mutants that were put behind bars after the Alcatraz incident will slowly be getting back their power. Magneto has already made a full recovery."

"And does he intend to continue his life where he left it off?" the President looked fearful.

"I'm afraid he probably does," Hank said, "Six months spent as a human has not warmed him to them any. He has already made an attempt to attack the school. Fortunately he was stopped before any damage could be done."

"And the cure doesn't work?"

"Well, it does, for six months or so, which strengthens the case to use it as a weapon, if that is the route you desire to take with security. I, for one, would certainly not mind losing my gifts for a six month period, having been caught in the crossfire, if that sacrifice meant that a dangerous mutant was put behind bars."

"I will have to think about it," the President looked weary as he furrowed his brow, trying to think everything through, "I will certainly speak to Mr. Worthington to see what his views on the matter are. In the mean time, Henry, I have a favour to ask of you."

* * *

By the time the girls were on the bus home, they had spent all of Jack's grant money, and a fair bit of their allowances. It hadn't been easy for them though – Rogue and Kitty liked figure hugging, girly clothes, Jack liked baggy, boyish clothes, preferably plain. They spent most of the time telling each other that they 'couldn't possibly buy _that_'. 

Never the less, they got there in the end, and even managed to be back on time to get to lessons, just.

"Thank you for joining us," Storm said with a smile as Kitty and Rogue crashed into their chair, with Jack following a little more reservedly behind them, "We were just about to start without you! Jack, take the spare seat next to Bobby, I've already put out a text book and exercise book for you."

Jack sat down, smiling briefly at Bobby, before opening her textbook and flicking through it. Storm smiled at her enthusiasm, then began the lesson.

Two hours later and Bobby had made three whole pages of notes on the history of the Indians, the battles they had fought and how they had eventually been rounded up and forced to live like the settlers. Jack hadn't written a word, she just listened intently the entire time.

When Storm dismissed them, she kept Jack back after everyone else had gone.

"Didn't you want to make any notes?" she asked.

"I don't need to," Jack said.

"Are you sure? That was a lot to take in… Or have you studied this topic before?"

"No, I'll just remember," Jack said.

"Ok…" Storm wasn't convinced that anyone could remember everything they had talked about without some kind of prompt.

"It was a very interesting lesson," Jack said.

"Thank you," Storm said, "Most of the kids think History is boring."

"I know, Kitty doesn't like it much, says there is too much talking, but I like listening."

Jack picked up her textbook and tucked it into a bag she bought that morning, and headed out after the rest of the class to get lunch. Storm watched her go. She was a nice girl, but odd, very odd.

* * *

Please review:) 


	5. Professor Worthington

Hello again! This is the last chapter I have typed in full, so expect a bit longer between updates from now on, especially as I have three exams next monday that I need to prepare for (tis bad, but I only have four more exams then I'm free! woo!)

Love to all reviewers as always, and hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Jack wasn't particularly hungry so, on arriving in the lunch hall, she just grabbed an apple and wandered straight outside. It was a gloriously sunny day and it seemed a shame to waste it sat inside. She hadn't had much chance to explore the gardens to the mansion and took full advantage of her hour of freedom having a good look.

At first she thought she was the only one outside, but as she turned a corner into a secluded little garden she was pleasantly surprised to see someone else.

Warren was sat perched on the back of a bench, his feet where you would normally sit, his wings spread wide, acting as a balance.

"Nice to see someone else out enjoying the sun," she said.

Warren turned his head to look at her. She stood where she was, munching on her apple, smiling briefly between bites.

"I prefer it outside," he said.

"I can't imagine why…" Jack said with a grin, "Must get a bit cramped indoors for you, huh?"

"You're actually going to volunteer conversation today then?" Warren said, "I was under the impression you didn't much like talking."

"I don't mind talking, as long as I'm the one asking the questions," Jack said, sitting down opposite him on another bench.

"I'd noticed," Warren said with the beginnings of a smile.

"I'll shut up if you like."

"No, I don't mind," Warren said, "It's nice to have some company out here."

"You know, you still haven't asked me my name," Jack said, "It's normally the first question that people ask around here."

"I thought you didn't like questions," Warren said.

"It's one I'm prepared to answer," Jack said.

"Ok then," Warren said with a slight laugh, "What's your name?"

"Jack," Jack said simply.

"Aren't you going to ask me mine?" Warren asked as they fell into silence.

"I already know it," Jack said, "You're Warren, right?"

"That's Professor Worthington to you," Warren said jokingly.

"I prefer Warren."

"I thought you might."

They fell into another companionable silence, Jack picking at her nails absentmindedly, Warren staring out into space as he had been before she arrived in the garden.

"So, you settling in ok?" Warren asked when he had had enough of the silence. He hoped it was a safe enough question.

"Yup," she said, "Rogue and Kitty dragged me shopping this morning, then I had my first lesson before lunch."

"What did you have?"

"Double history."

"That must have been really nice to start with…"

Jack apparently didn't pick up on his sarcasm, as she said quite merrily that it had been a good lesson and she'd really enjoyed it.

Before he could say anything in reply, the bell rung, signalling the end of lunch and the beginning of the afternoon's lessons.

"Well, you've got my class now, I hope you enjoy that as much as your history class."

"I'm sure I will," Jack said, throwing her apple core to the birds and heading back towards the mansion.

* * *

Before she could get too caught up teaching, Hank pulled Storm to one side. 

"Ororo, my dear, when is the best time for you to take a day out from working?" he asked.

"Well, there isn't really a good day, but I suppose Sunday is probably the best, why?"

"The President wishes to speak to you," Hank said, "regarding some security matters."

"He wants to speak to me?" Storm asked.

"Well, he spoke to me, and I said that you were the one to talk to," Hank said.

"Well, I can certainly take time out for the President," Storm said, "Will you sort it all out for me?"

"From an appointment to a chauffeur," Hank said, bowing slightly, "Thank you, he'll really appreciate your time."

* * *

Jack took a seat next to Kitty, who looked very indignant that she had walked in with Warren, but soon resumed staring dreamily forwards at the young Professor. 

"Today we are going to begin studying the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee," Warren began.

Jack thought he looked very uneasy. She made a mental note to point out to him next time they spoke that he needn't worry – all the girls fancied him and the boys were too busy trying to appear cool and unconcerned about the fact that they were all reading that they didn't really notice him much.

As he spoke, telling them of the background to the story, Jack found herself falling into a similar pose to Kitty's, though not for the same reasons. Warren had a very nice voice, she decided, and it was easy to listen too. As he read the opening chapters, she became captivated by the story. She had always liked a good story.

The hour passed very quickly and Jack was almost sorry when it came to an end.

"That was a good lesson," she said as Warren packed up his things and everyone else left around her, "Better than History, I would say."

"You thought so?" he asked, looking up at her.

"You were nervous," she stated.

"Wouldn't you be? Stood in front of a class like that?"

"Wouldn't bother me," Jack said, "Not if I knew what I was talking about, and you seem to."

"Well, thanks anyway," Warren said, turning back to his things.

"No, thank you," Jack said, then wandered over to the door, "See you later, Warren."

"Professor Worthington," Warren corrected absentmindedly, but she had already gone.

Once done tidying his classroom, Warren made his way to Storm's office, where the staff gathered at the end of the day to discuss students and anything the day might have brought to light. As he walked in they were busy discussing plans for a birthday party for one of the students.

"Warren!" Storm smiled in greeting as he walked in the room. She left the others to their conversation and walked over to join him, "Just finished teaching the older students? What did you make of Jack?"

"She's… strange," was all Warren really had to say.

"That was just about as much as I could make of her," Storm admitted, "You know, I'm worried she may be in a little out of her depth in the top class, could you keep an eye on her for me?"

"Of course," Warren said, "I was planning to anyway."

* * *

The music room in Xavier's institute was as grand and regal as the rest of the mansion. Kitty loved it, especially the old grand piano that sat in the middle of the room. She came to it quite a lot, when she was feeling a bit down or sometimes just for a bit of peace and quiet. 

She had a little classical training, enough to play the pieces that she found on the shelves and in the piano stool. She was nowhere near concert standard, but it was listenable, not that she ever played for anybody.

She was halfway through a jolly minuet when she became aware that she wasn't alone in the room. She stopped quite abruptly.

"Don't stop," Jack said, "That was nice."

"Sorry," Kitty said, "I'm not used to having an audience… you surprised me."

Nervously she began to pick out a tune again, but with Jack stood watching her she couldn't pick up the confidence to play properly.

"Do you play?" she asked.

"No," Jack said.

"But you like the classical music?"

"It's beautiful," Jack wandered over and stood next to where Kitty was sitting, inspecting the piano closely.

"It's a beautiful instrument, isn't it?" Kitty said, "I had an upright piano at home, nice enough, but nothing compared to this."

She ran her hands over the surface of the piano admiringly.

"Plays nice too," she added with a small shrug, "You know, if you want, you can borrow one of my CDs of the classics, I've got loads. I use them sometimes, to help me sleep, when I'm missing home."

"I'd like that," Jack said.

"Do you miss home?" Kitty asked after a moment's silence.

"Sometimes," Jack said, sitting beside her on the stool.

She held out her hand, running it over the keys. As they settled on them, her fingers finding their place, she pressed down slightly. The sound made by the piano was mellow and rich.

Experimentally she pressed another, enjoying how the sounds ran into one another to make a tune. Feeling adventurous she pressed a few more notes, playing the basic tune to a song she had heard in the shopping centre while with Kitty and Rogue. Both girls had mentioned that they liked the song.

"Wow," Kitty said, "Are you sure you don't play?"

"I'm sure," Jack said, "I just like music."

"Me too," Kitty said with a smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Magneto's forest hideout, Callisto was gloating. 

"I told you," she said, "I couldn't sense her, I knew that made her bad news."

"I will certainly trust your opinion next time," Magneto said.

"You better," she said icily, "Now what are we going to do? We still don't have Mystique and there's no way we can take her by force."

"No way, you say?" Magneto raised an eyebrow at her, "My dear I may have made a mistake, but don't underestimate me. Mystique wasn't the only friend taken from us during that incident at Alcatraz… We should take a trip to the prison they are being held at and see who else has been fortunate enough to make a full recovery."

"Most of our 'friends' died at the hands of the Phoenix," Callisto said, "She was another mistake you made – maybe you're losing your touch!"

"Hey," Pyro said, flicking his hands on fire, "You ought to shut your mouth, if it weren't for him you'd still be _discussing_ with those other losers who were all talk and no action."

"I'm not any better off here than I was back there," Callisto said.

"Do you really believe that?" Magneto asked, standing up. Callisto gazed at him stonily.

"We've had our loses, but we are in a powerful position to strike," Magneto said, "You both know there is a World Summit coming up, in which the powers that be are likely to decide on the fate of such mutant outlaws as ourselves. Who knows, they may have discovered that the cure is only temporary, which will strengthen their case to use it as a weapon. Perhaps they will even commission those at Worthington Labs to develop a permanent cure, so that once caught by the temporary cure we may be permanently _decommissioned_."

"We're not sounding in a good position at all," Callisto said, "everything is against us!"

"We need to start a campaign," Magneto marched towards her, "We have to strike while they are still docile. They don't know about the cure being temporary publicly yet, otherwise it would have been all over the news. Lets beat the reporters too it and cause some disruption, spread the seeds of fear and chaos!"

"Won't that just make them all the more resolved to make ways of dealing with us?"

"Yes, which is why we have to be clever," Magneto said with a smile, "Firstly, we show the _X-men_ that they haven't beaten us just yet. We will need the help of all our friends for that task, so we need to do some jail breaking. Once that is done we find out the dates of the summit and lay low for a while. The X-men will be constantly on guard while at the same time distracted by the upcoming Summit. They will be so eager to get it all done and dusted as quickly as possible, so that proper systems, _rules_, might be put in place to deal with us, and so will not notice us until we strike right at the heart of it."

"You are saying sneak attack right under their noses?" Pyro asked.

"That's right, strike during the Summit so that they may never reach those agreements and make those rules!" Magneto became impassioned as he spoke, waving his clenched fist in a subtle display of fervour and determination, "And in the chaos that follows, we will take the world by force and form our own democracy, one that does not rely on the rambling discussions of old men to decide everything, one that favours Mutantkind as the superior race, just as it should be!"

"When do we start?" Callisto asked, all doubt in his ability gone.

"Right now, Callisto my dear, I have even thought of a special task specifically for you…"

* * *

Please review! xXx 


	6. The President's Proposition

Arrrhh... this has been written for ages, but my stupid document uploader hasn't been working! I was getting so annoyed lol. Seems to be back to normal now though, so on with the story!

(Just a little note... I corrected the line break error. Teach me to rush things, I start breaking up the scenes in all the wrong places lol, anyhoo thanks to Iblaze for pointing that one out!)

* * *

"And so at the culmination of years of hard work, a rough draft of the Human Genome was finally completed in the year 2000. A posse ad esse, as our Latin speaking friends would say, from possibility to actuality, that will be all for today," Hank said, folding his book shut.

The class blearily got to their feet, a little overwhelmed by the complex terminology used in their biology lessons. Bobby was looking down at his notes with a bemused expression, Kitty looked half asleep and Rogue had frown lines on her forehead from concentration. Jack wasn't too interested in the Human Genome, but she was interested in one part of the lesson.

"Who speaks Latin?" she asked Hank as the rest of the class left around her.

"It was the language of Ancient Rome," he explained, "It is only used for scientific names nowadays, and by those living at the Vatican."

"And by you," Jack said.

"It is my scholarly side," Hank said with a smile, "I learnt Latin at college, and can't help slipping into it sometimes. I suppose you might call it showing off."

Jack grinned as the blue furred professor smiled with amusement.

"Would you teach me?" Jack asked, "I like languages, and words."

"Why certainly," Hank said. He looked thrilled that someone had shown an interest.

"Thanks," Jack said with a smile.

"Do you have any previous experience with Latin?" Hank asked.

"A posse ad esse," Jack repeated with perfect intonation and accent, "from possibility to actuality."

Hank laughed.

"It's a good start," he said, "your pronunciation is very good, perfect in fact."

He walked round the front of his desk and stood leaning against it.

"So, what did you think of your first Biology lesson?" he asked.

"I don't have much interest in genetics, but I could follow it fair enough," she said with a shrug.

"You didn't seem to be making many notes," Hank said. It had been three days since Jack's first lesson, and all the teachers has commented that she never wrote much, if anything, down.

"I've got a good memory," she said.

"Well, you are a young woman, perfectly capable of making your own decisions and judgements, so I won't question you – you know how you learn best. Now, I have a little spare time tomorrow evening, come and find me down here if you are still interested in learning a little Latin."

"I'll see you then," Jack said, before disappearing out of the class.

* * *

Rogue walked with Kitty through the corridors of the school. She had once been jealous of the girl, because Bobby liked her, and Bobby could touch her. Rogue had feared that, however unintentionally, Kitty might steal her boyfriend away. When Rogue took the cure and touch no longer was an issue, she put her prejudices aside and got to know her a little better. She was glad she did, because Kitty was a nice girl, and she soon learned that any fears she had had about her intentions with Bobby were misplaced. Kitty had eyes for someone else.

"Seriously, I don't know how I'm going to pass any of my classes this year," Kitty said with a giggle, "Between Peter and Professor Worthington I'm distracted all the time!"

"Maybe you should make the first move," Rogue said, "You know, drop a few hints. See if he's interested."

"You can drop hints til your head hurts and they still don't get it!" Kitty said, "Stupid boys…"

Rogue laughed but her amusement was disrupted by a sharp pain shooting through her forehead. It was over as soon as it started, but Rogue put her hand to her head, soothing it against the ripples of smaller pains it had left in its wake.

"You ok?" Kitty asked. Her voice sounded oddly melodic, richer and more layered. Rogue pressed her hands over her ears and removed them again.

"Rogue?" Kitty's voice sounded normal again.

"Yeah, fine," Rogue said with a very fake smile, "Just got a bit of a headache, that's all, made my ears go funny."

"Ok…" Kitty didn't sound entirely convinced, but she accepted it and carried on with the conversation.

* * *

Storm sat outside the President's office, nervously smoothing her white hair and crisp business suit. She wondered as she waited, about what security matters the President wished to discuss, and where exactly she came into it.

"Miss Munroe?" a secretary poked her head round a door, "The President will see you now."

Storm stood up and brushed herself down one last time, before walking into the office. The President was sat behind his desk, looking through some papers. As she walked in he looked up and smiled at her.

"Miss Munroe," he said, standing to shake her hand, "Thank you so much for your time."

"You're welcome Mr. President," Storm said.

"I understand Henry told you what I wanted to talk to you about today?"

"Security matters was as specific as he got, sir," Storm said. The President nodded.

"Before I say anything else, I just want to assure you that you have no reason to feel obliged to do what I am going to ask, and if you want me to 'get lost' then tell me so, Lord knows you've done enough for this country already," the President said.

Storm began to feel uneasy.

"What are you proposing?" she asked, trying to keep a level voice.

"I know of your school, both sides of it," the President said, "It acts as a safe house for Mutant children on the run, where they can get an education and the life skills required for them to survive in society, and as a training facility for them to use and control their powers.

"Now, I've seen you in action against Magneto, dressed in your fancy outfits, saving the world. To me you are superheroes, but the rest of the world barely knows of your existence.

"What I am proposing is that you go public, you and the other 'X-men'. I thought it might help alleviate tensions between the Mutant and Non-Mutant societies, by showing that not all Mutants are like Magneto, and also might discourage any opportunists like Magneto from taking a stab at world domination, or whatever it is they are after these days…

"In no way would I want this to compromise the safety and anonymity of the school, so everything would be done under strict identity control – disguises, fake identities, and Henry led me to believe you already have codenames…" The President added with a small smile.

"Codenames are good fun for the kids, but they don't protect your identity," Storm said.

"Perhaps not, but the government can," the President said.

"To a certain extent, yes, but the Government can't stop people putting two and two together. Some of us are not quite so inconspicuous."

"Yes, I know the case would not be so simple for some, particularly for young Mr. Worthington and Dr. McCoy, but my take on it was to have those that are more conspicuous make no attempt to hide their identity and become a sort of 'Spokesperson' for the group."

"I can't imagine Warren would be too happy about that," Storm said with a brief laugh.

"Well, all I can ask of you is to think about it. Talk to your colleagues and see how they feel, let me know either way."

"I will certainly do that," Storm said with a smile.

* * *

Jack was lounging around outside in the sun, listening to the CD Kitty had lent her on a portable CD player Rogue had let her borrow. Her friends were sat a little way away under the shade of a tree. Bobby and Rogue were snuggling up together, which gave Kitty an excuse to be familiar with Peter. Above the sound of her music, Jack could just about hear Kitty trying to get him to speak to her in Russian. Jack pressed random buttons on the CD player until she found the volume control and turned it down so she could listen better.

It was idyllic, lying on the grass, listening to her friends chatter away to a backdrop of some famous composer while the sun shone down and a light summer breeze blew, carrying with it the scent of flowers.

She was just thinking how perfect things were when a shadow fell across her.

"Do you mind?" she demanded, sitting up on her elbows, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the person stood over her, "you're blocking my sun!"

"Well pardon me," Warren said with an amused smile, "Where would you like me to stand, _your majesty_?"

Jack gave him a strange look but she covered it quickly with a smile.

"Well, you could move about a metre in that direction," she said pointing, "Or, you know, you could just sit down."

Warren thought about it for a moment then decided to sit down with her.

"You know, ultra violet radiation is very bad for your skin, so perhaps it was a good thing that I blocked your sunlight."

Jack was lying back down on the grass, soaking up the rays again, her CD player lying forgotten by her side.

"If it feels this nice how can it possibly be bad," she said.

"Was it much colder where you used to live then?" Warren knew as soon as the words came out of his mouth that he had probably just killed the conversation, asking her about herself.

"Yeah," Jack said vaguely.

* * *

Over by the tree Kitty watched with amazement, nudging Rogue to make her look too.

"How does she _do_ that?" Kitty asked, "Seriously, I'm going to have to ask her for lessons!"

"Lessons on how to be a teacher's pet?" Bobby asked, irritated that Rogue's attention had been taken away from him.

Rogue and Kitty both rolled their eyes.

"Boys!" they exclaimed together.

* * *

"So, where did you live before you came here?" Jack asked, directing the conversation away from her.

Warren didn't miss this, but he didn't mind. If she had reason not to talk about her past then he wouldn't push her. She'd tell someone when she was ready, and that someone probably wasn't going to be him anyway.

"My Father owns a pharmaceutical company over in San Fransisco," Warren said, "I spent most of my childhood there."

"Your Dad _owns_ a pharmaceutical company? Wow," Jack said, "That must make you pretty rich."

"Well, yes," Warren said, "Worthington Industries, you must have heard of it."

He waited for that brief pause, followed by the inevitable 'Oh, yes, the place that invented the _cure_. So your Father invented the cure because of you! It's your fault that the cure exists!' and so on.

"Nope," Jack said, "never heard of it."

Warren could barely disguise his surprise. Part of him was delighted that someone existed that didn't link him straight back to the dreaded cure, but another part of him knew she'd find out sooner or later, and that he'd rather she found out from him.

"You must have," Warren said, "It was all over the news about six months ago, for inventing the Cure."

"Not American, remember?" Jack said, looking over at him.

He had a distant and sad sort of look on his face with a hint of shame. Jack sat up a little taller.

"I had to leave my home," she said, "Because I wasn't safe there."

Warren looked round at her. She met his gaze directly but didn't say anything else. Eventually he looked away.

He thought he had a rough deal, with a billionaire Father who hated his mutation so much that he spearheaded research into a cure. But it was his mutation that he had hated, not Warren himself. In a roundabout sort of way, it was through love for his son that Warren Worthington Senior had done what he had done. That love was misguided, but it was still love none the less.

So many kids here had been rejected by their parents – some just thrown out, some locked away, some even physically abused as horrified parents tried to beat their X-gene out of them. Bobby Drake's parents hadn't spoken to him since his younger brother had tried to get him and a couple of other students arrested. One of the younger boys had been found locked in a cupboard living off scraps posted under the door by his younger sister. This kind of abuse was commonplace in families with mutant children, and now Jack was admitting she was just another on the long list of runaways who had run because they didn't feel safe in their own homes.

At least Warren's Father had made sure he was well cared for, and had never forbidden him to do anything, though the power of disappointment was often more heartbreaking than anger.

Overhead a cloud passed in front of the sun.

"Damn it," Jack cursed, "Who's blocking my sun now?"

"It's a cloud," Warren said with a dry smile, "and somehow I don't think that's going to listen to you if you tell it to move a metre in that direction or sit down."

Jack laughed, shoving him playfully.

* * *

"I don't believe her!" Kitty said, torn between amused and indignant, "She is _flirting_ with Professor Worthington! He's totally going for it as well."

Rogue laughed at her friend.

"You know," Kitty said, turning to Rogue, "Maybe I should start wearing boys clothes and not brushing my hair properly – then he might smile at me like that."

"Kitty, you're going to fail English Lit as it is, without any more distractions!" Rogue said, biting back more laughter.

Peter was silently getting very annoyed that so much of Kitty's attention was directed at the young Professor. It was about time she paid more attention to him, he decided.

"Kitty?" he said.

"Yeah?" Kitty asked in reply.

As she turned round to face him he caught her lips in a kiss. Kitty's eyes widened in surprise but she soon melted into it. Bobby and Rogue shared a look before both bursting out laughing.

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews! Please keep them coming :)


	7. Latin Lessons

Nice long chapter for you all. Hopefully this one will make sense of the title :) thanks for the reviews as always, you guys are great!

* * *

"Jack!" Kitty called excitedly as they walked in to the mansion, heading towards their computer class with Professor Darkholme.

Jack turned to face her as Kitty practically jumped on her, throwing her arms round her neck in an extravagant hug.

"Thank you _sooo_ much!" Kitty said.

"You're welcome?" Jack said, a little bemused.

"Jealousy!" Kitty raved, "You can drop hints til your blue in the face, but make them jealous and they do all the hard work for you!"

She skipped off down the corridor singing happily.

"What did I do?" Jack asked Rogue who was busy laughing at Kitty.

"Earlier when you were talking to Professor Worthington you made Kitty go on about him until Peter got jealous and kissed her to get her attention back on him," Rogue said.

"Nothing then," Jack said, "Kitty goes on about Warren all the time, if I've been talking to him or not!"

"Well, I think it was specifically because you were flirting with him a bit," Rogue said.

"Flirting?" Jack asked sceptically.

"You so were!" Rogue said, grinning teasingly at her friend.

"Well if Kitty thought so, then I probably was," Jack said with a shrug, "She seems to be the self-appointed 'relationship guru' in this place."

"She might not be so keen to interfere with everyone else now she has her own boyfriend," Rogue said with a grin, "So do you like Professor Worthington?"

"Yeah, he's nice," Jack said, "When he's not asking too many questions."

"No, I mean _like_ like," Rogue said, "Don't try and skirt round the question with me, girl!"

"I have never thought of him like that," Jack said.

"Why not?" Rogue sounded surprised and a bit disbelieving, "He's hot, and he obviously likes you."

"Are you looking to take Kitty's place as self-appointed relationship guru?" Jack asked.

"Ok, I'll shut up," Rogue said laughing as they came to the computer suite.

It was Jack's first computing lesson, and she looked distinctly uncomfortable about using the machines.

"Me and computers don't get along," she said, "I have a habit of blowing them up."

"Join the club!" Jubilee said.

"Only with you it's quite literal!" Bobby joked.

Jubilee just shrugged with a face that said 'guilty as charged'.

"Ok, class," Mystique said, walking to the front of the room. She always taught in her human form so as to be less scary to the younger students who recognised her from her criminal days, "Today we will be continuing compiling a database, advancing the work we started last week. Jack, come over here and I'll bring you up to speed with what we've been doing."

The rest of the class settled into the lesson as Jack wandered over to where Professor Darkholme was sat at the front.

"I don't do computers," she said as she sat down opposite her.

"Lots of people think that, but it's not so hard to learn the basics," Mystique said.

"So you used to work for Magneto?" Jack asked.

Mystique was caught completely off guard by the question. No other student had been so impertinent as to question her directly like that.

"I only ask because I wondered what made you change your mind," Jack said.

Mystique regarded her coolly, trying to decipher the thoughts and feelings behind her fathomless green eyes. For once Mystique had no notion, not a clue – she could read nothing in Jack's expression. This was a girl who was well practiced at hiding things, and yet Mystique felt a strange desire to answer her.

"I believed that Eric had the answers to our problems," Mystique said, "I thought he would lead us into a world where we would no longer be persecuted. When he spoke he made me believe that killing all the humans was the only way. You may find it hard to believe that someone like me could be naïve, but that is what I was. When you have lived a troubled existence your entire life and someone says to you that they have the power and the motive to fix that, you cling to it. You believe it because your heart wants to.

"The day I changed my mind was the day I got shot by a 'Cure' bullet and Eric left me behind. I knew then that it was not me he cared about, but my mutation and what I could do. He was just another in a long line of people who look at mutants and see their mutation, not the person. He was just as bad as the humans we set out to destroy."

Jack didn't say anything for a moment, letting Mystique calm her anger.

"Do you ever wonder if you've made the wrong decision?" she asked once Mystique had recovered sufficiently.

"Why do you?" Mystique countered, knowing the girl had chosen the X-men over Magneto, just like she had.

"All the time," Jack said, "But not about Magneto."

"I guess I would say the same," Mystique said, before falling silent.

She felt bad. All those wrong decisions, directed by a desire to create a world pictured by a man whose logic was flawed. Most of her life wasted at the hands of Eric and his Brotherhood. So many lives destroyed. How many had she taken for a wasted cause? What part of her was foolish enough to make such terrible choices?

"Sometimes we have to make decisions that we regret, because it was the only option available to us at the time," Jack said thoughtfully. Mystique felt like she was responding to her thoughts, "Taken out of context those decisions are bad ones, but if you think about it, it was the best you could do when the choice was presented to you, and no one can blame you for that."

Mystique looked over at Jack, expecting her to be staring intently at her, but the girl was lazily looking up at the ceiling, like the words she had spoken had been on the tip of her tongue, falling out of her mouth rather than being dug from some deep, meaningful recess of her brain.

"They say you don't like to talk much about yourself, your past," Mystique said, turning the conversation away from herself. She didn't like how unnervingly accurately Jack could read her emotions without even trying.

"They told you the truth," Jack said, "I get the impression you don't like to talk about yours either." She added in a tone that said 'don't question me and I won't question you'.

"I don't like to talk about mine because I am ashamed of it," Mystique said, watching Jack closely for a reaction.

"I guess I would say the same," Jack said, her face as blank as ever.

* * *

Jack never did any computer work in the end. She spent so long talking to Mystique that the lesson was over before she could begin. The next day, their morning lessons were cancelled due to Storm calling a meeting between staff members, so she missed out on computers again. She wasn't exactly upset about this.

The other lesson they were missing was English, which didn't disappoint Kitty half as much now she had Peter. They had been set a chapter to read in their spare time, and somehow Rogue found herself reading it out to Bobby, Kitty, Peter and Jack.

"Why do I have to read it?" she asked, "Why can't you all just read it in your heads?"

"You're from the south," Jack said, "It's a book set in the south – it's authentic if you read it."

Jack seemed to be the main advocate for a lesson taught by 'Professor Rogue' but the others soon followed her lead. Rogue gave up trying to argue with them in the end.

* * *

"That is what the President proposed," Storm said to her staff, having just explained her meeting with the President the day before, "I said I couldn't come to a decision without consulting you first, so, that's what I'm doing."

Logan, Mystique, Warren and Hank all stood in silence. Hank had at least known what was coming, which was more than the others could say, but he could still not think of a response.

"Well, I think it's a good idea," Mystique said, "But it's very easy for me to think that, because identity is not an issue with me."

"I think the government is talking out of its ass if it thinks it can stop people linking us back to this place," Logan said gruffly, "I'm surprised we haven't got people knocking our door down because of furball here."

"I haven't done anything that is a threat," Hank said, "I'm a politician. Nothing more than a chatterbox with some big ideas to most people."

"If we are doing this to protect the humans, then what cause would they have to campaign against it?" Mystique said, "I know a lot of people have very closed minds, but would they oppose a Government endorsed initiative?"

"People appose government ideas all the time," Hank said, "That's why we call it a democracy."

"But are the people we should be worrying about humans or other Mutants?" Storm asked, "That was my main concern, beyond identity. Will it just encourage people to attack us?"

"Well, if they couldn't identify us then they couldn't attack us," Logan said, "but that ain't going to be easy, no matter what your precious government might believe."

"Well, this school isn't exactly a secret," Mystique said, "it's been attacked before, what's to stop it happening again, if you go with the President's plan or not."

"But that's the point," Storm said, "_If_ we go with the President's plan, could he stop it happening again?"

Warren listened as their debate escalated. It was basically him and Hank they were arguing over, the two that stood out. No one else had any particularly noticeable feature, not one that couldn't be hidden easily anyway. One part of Warren thought it was a great idea, forming an official team to keep America safe, but he knew that it would thrust him straight into the spotlight, because there was no hiding who he was.

Warren Worthington III, billionaire heir and winged mutant superhero. He thought he could probably have handled being one or the other, but both at the same time? And if they did go public, what would the implications be for his Father and his company?

* * *

Jack wandered down to Professor McCoy's biology lab. Everyone else was watching TV, playing pool and generally just chilling out, but she knew the blue furred Professor would be down here, probably pouring over some science journal and making notes.

She knocked lightly on the door and let herself in. Professor McCoy looked up from the paper he was analysing.

"Ah, Miss Starbright!" he said, removing his glasses and placing his pencil on the desk.

"Miss Starbright?" Jack asked.

"Forgive me," Hank said with a smile, "I'm showing off again. It's a joke."

"I don't get it," Jack said.

"Warren tells me you enjoy English Literature," Hank said, "Have you ever heard of an author called Anthony Horowitz?"

Jack shook her head.

"He writes the sort of stories that young boys love to read – adventures, spies, gadgets, that sort of thing. Anyway, one of his books was about a young British boy who became a spy for his country, Alex Rider. This boy lived with his Uncle, but his Uncle died on a mission, and he was left in the care of his American housekeeper, a Miss Jack Starbright. He comments all the way through about how he doesn't know what 'Jack' is short for, Jackie or Jacqueline perhaps, but that to him she was always just Jack. I thought it was rather appropriate, but like I said, I'm just showing off again."

"I like it," Jack said.

"Then perhaps you might consider it for your X-name," Hank said with a smile, "Now, Latin! I don't know really what you want to learn, as conversational Latin is fairly redundant…"

"Just talk to me," Jack interrupted, "Say something, then tell me what you are saying."

She sat opposite him, resting her hands on the desk, already listening intently, despite the fact that he wasn't saying anything. Hank watched her for a second, then began to speak. He started by telling her a little about himself, basic things like eye colour, favourite sports, the kind of things you learnt at school when you were little and first studying languages, but before long he got carried away. He started speaking of his life, what he had done before he came to Xavier's mansion, how he had discovered his power, college life and work. He had long forgotten to translate for her, and couldn't remember everything he had covered to sufficient detail to tell her now, but she didn't ask him too. She just sat unmoving opposite him, her hands linked, her eyes closed as she concentrated on the sound of his voice.

As he spoke, Hank watched her closely. She wasn't an obviously pretty girl, not like Kitty or Rogue, but there was a certain charm to her. She was still too thin, her cheek and collar bones prominent in a way which announced she was underfed, or at least had been. She didn't seem to ever brush her long brown hair, nor remove the bracelets on her wrists.

Hank decided to finish his long speech.

"And I don't suppose you understood a word of that, did you?" he said in Latin.

Jack opened her eyes and met his gaze directly, then did something that took Hank completely by surprise.

"Not much," she replied, in Latin, "but I think I got the basic idea."

Hank stared at her in open jawed amazement.

"Fascinating," he said, returning his glasses to his nose to look at her better.

* * *

_Rogue stood on a hill overlooking a city she had never seen before. It was rife with poverty and corruption. People littered the streets, scratching an existence off the barren rocks. Their houses were no more than shacks, hastily erected in what little space could be found._

_There was such desperation to this place. Rogue felt her breath catching in her throat as she held back choking sobs. Small children with sorrowfully wide eyes looked up at her, begging for her help. But Rogue had nothing she could give._

_She was a curse. She destroyed everything she touched. She couldn't even provide the comfort of her arms around them. Not without killing them._

_A young girl in ragged clothes ran over to her._

"_Save us," she said, grabbing Rogue's hand and pulling her towards the city._

_Rogue realised she wasn't wearing any gloves. She tried to pull away from the girl but her grip was like a vice. A blinding pain began to sear across Rogue's forehead as her hand throbbed, like it was sucking the life force from the girl. The girl looked up at Rogue, her face covered with the strange veins that appeared whenever she touched someone's skin. She was dying._

"_No!" Rogue said._

_The girl smiled and laughed._

Rogue awoke with a gasp, her arm throbbing, her head searing and her mind still filled with the images of her dream. As she slowly got her breathing and heart rate under control, the pain and the images began to fade, but she knew there was no way she was going to be able to sleep again tonight.

Slipping into her dressing gown, she headed downstairs to the kitchen to get a large bowl of ice cream. Boy did she need one right now.

She thought about getting a bowl, but decided the tub and spoon approach would best suit her needs. She located a reasonably empty ice cream tub, and sat down at the table, ready to decimate it. She dug in the spoon and raised it to her mouth.

"Trouble sleeping?" a voice from the doorway asked, and the spoon missed her mouth.

"Yeah," she told Logan as he sat opposite her, "Bad dream."

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"I killed a little girl."

It wasn't so much that, but the sheer desperation and sorrow she had felt, while dreaming and as she woke. It was a feeling so strong that it haunted her even now, sat eating ice cream in the kitchen with Logan. But Logan was a man of actions and material things – she doubted he would understand why a feeling troubled her so much, even if she could find the words to explain it.

"It was just a dream," Logan said.

"It felt real," Rogue replied.

They fell into silence, Rogue picking at her ice cream half-heartedly. It wasn't helping as much as she would have liked.

"What about you?" she asked after a moment, unable to take the silence anymore.

"I heard you walk past," he said with a shrug, "It's been a while since we've spoken properly, thought I'd see how you were."

"You got out of bed at three in the morning to ask me how I am?" Rogue asked with a small smile.

"Yeah," Logan said with a shrug, "How are you, kid?"

"Surviving," Rogue replied.

"On ice cream?"

"Pretty much."

They fell into silence again, but this time it was Logan who broke it.

"You know, I'm worried about you, kid," he said, "All the others say you are coping really well with the return of your power, and they are amazed by your strength and courage. They don't look past that, but I can see something is eating you up inside."

Rogue looked up at him, surprised. She had been feeling out of sorts lately, but she didn't think it had been enough for anyone else to notice. But then, this was Logan, and he knew her better than anyone, even Bobby.

"I just…" Rogue began.

"This isn't about a boy is it?" Logan asked with mock seriousness.

Rogue laughed and shook her head.

"I just feel different," she said, "Since the return of my powers I feel different, like something in me has changed. I'm not the same as I was when I had my powers the first time. I know I look the same, and I act the same, and nothing about me noticeably has changed, but I _feel_… different," she finished lamely, dropping her spoon on the table and resting her head in both hands, frustrated that she didn't have better words to describe it.

"You've grown up," Logan said.

"You think so?" Rogue was eager to accept a plausible explanation.

"Welcome to the world of adulthood, kid," Logan said.

"If I've grown up, how come I'm still 'kid'?" Rogue asked.

"You'll always be 'kid' to me," Logan said.

Rogue smiled at him, glad for his company, glad for his care.

"Now, you should hurry up and finish that ice cream," he said with a fake stern voice, "You won't want to be tired for the birthday party tomorrow."

He stood up and walked over to the door.

"Thanks Logan," Rogue said.

"Don't mention it," Logan said, "Kid," he added as an afterthought, before winking and leaving Rogue to her ice cream.

* * *

Please review! xXx 


	8. A Birthday Party

Woo, I have my last exam today! In about an hour and a half. I should be revising really... lol

* * *

The Juggernaut, Multiple Man and Arclight were sat in their cells, bored out of their minds, when the bars started creaking. Arclight looked up, frowning slightly.

They had all been given a shot of the cure then left under close observation, just in case. None of them had heard anything from any other member of the Brotherhood (which given that most of them were in jail, and Mystique was indisposed, that left Pyro, Callisto and Magneto) in the six months that they had been trapped here, and had begun to consider themselves forgotten. After all, what use would Magneto have for a load of humans? Still, there was no mistaking that creaking sound.

Arclight stood up and walked over to the bars of her cell. She touched her hand to the metal bars and they bent like elastic under her fingers.

"Magneto?" she said, backing away from them.

Behind her Juggernaut and Multiple Man both stood up. Arclight shielded her eyes as the bars suddenly buckled, then pulled clear of the wall. They clattered to the floor and as the dust cleared, Magneto, flanked by Callisto and Pyro, emerged.

"My dear comrades," Magneto said, smiling benignly.

"What are you doing here?" Arclight asked.

"What sort of a welcome is that?" Magneto chuckled.

"Well, we saw what you did to Mystique," Multiple Man said, "What do you want with us now we're human?"

"You mean to say you don't know yet?" Magneto said, "the 'cure', it's only temporary."

"You mean we could have got out of here ages ago?" Juggernaut said angrily.

"When were you injected with the cure?" Magneto asked.

"A couple of days after Alcatraz," Arclight said, "We would have felt it come back, the power."

"It requires work, my dear," Magneto said, "You have to exercise it. In the six months the cure has been suppressing it, it has become weak. You will have to work hard, but I assure you, a few days hard work and you will be back to form."

"How do you know?" Multiple Man asked.

"Because, my friend, I also took a shot of their 'cure'," Magneto paused to let this statement fully sink in, "Their _science_ hasn't kept me down, I know it won't keep you down either."

Arclight clapped her hands together experimentally. A small, feeble wave of energy emitted from her hands. She clapped again and the shockwave came a bit stronger.

"You see?" Magneto smiled again, "You'll be at full strength in no time, and what better way to exercise your newly reawakened powers than to get a little well deserved justice from the X-men?"

* * *

Storm smiled happily as a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday was rounded off by a load clapping. The birthday boy, a younger student called Sam, sat before a cake covered in candles smiling as he took a deep breath and blew them out.

The cheering and clapping dwindled as the younger students rushed off to test out some of Sam's presents, leaving the older students to enjoy a large buffet, and the teachers to indulge in a little champagne.

It was three in the afternoon, and a brilliantly sunny day. The morning lessons were over and done with, and any evening ones cancelled to allow for the party. Storm was glad for a break from everything – teaching took it out of you, especially with the added responsibilities and loads she was carrying at the moment.

She was no closer to deciding what she wanted to do about the President's proposition, but she had at least presented it to her staff, and they were helping to mull over it.

"Forget about all that for a while," Hank said from somewhere beside her. Storm looked round at him.

"How do you know what I'm thinking about?" she asked.

"I don't need to be psychic to read your expression," Hank said with a smile, "A solution will present itself in time, til then, you are under no pressure to make a decision."

"I know," Storm said, "it's just at the moment every option available seems to put someone out, or at risk."

"The only thing you should be worrying about right now is if your champagne needs refilling," Hank said, removing the empty glass from her hand, and replacing it with a fresh one.

Storm smiled.

"You're not trying to get me tipsy are you?" she asked.

"I certainly am," Hank said.

Storm grinned, and looked round at everyone. The younger kids all seemed to be having fun, Mystique and Logan appeared to be engaged in a debate (which was odd, as they tended to avoid each other) and the older students were huddled together, probably plotting how to get their hands on some alcohol. They had got bolder with the lack of psychics about the place. Hank followed her gaze.

"I've made an interesting discovery about Jack," he said, nodding over to her.

"What's that?" Storm asked.

Little by little she was creating a picture of Jack from all the various people in the building. Teachers and sometimes students told her things she had said or done, and like a jigsaw it was slowly starting to piece together. Unfortunately some of the things she heard seemed to blatantly contradict themselves, leading Storm to believe the girl was not only an accomplished liar, but hiding something. She didn't like to intrude on other people's business, but she didn't feel she could help the girl to the best of her ability without a little knowledge about her past and her background.

"She has an extraordinary talent for learning languages," Hank said, "From what I've seen and heard, I believe she could probably master a whole language in less than a week, given some intensive training."

"Is that a mutation?" Storm asked.

"I don't think so," Hank said.

* * *

"How come they get alcohol and we don't?" Kitty muttered, eyeing the champagne bottle.

"Underage," Jack said, "This is a school after all, can't set a bad example."

"You're not underage," Bobby commented, "My folks went to England once, they said the drinking age there was eighteen."

"I don't think they are going to let me drink and turn you lot away," Jack said.

"Champagne is gross anyway," Rogue said, "why would you want that?"

"Maybe we should employ a little stealth and see if they had anything else available," Kitty said with a mischievous grin.

"I'm not getting involved," Jack said, "Why hide away somewhere and drink when the party is out here in the sun?"

"You hippy!" Kitty said teasingly, "You won't tell on us will you?"

"How old do you think I am, five?" Jack replied with a grin.

"See you later then!" Bobby said, putting his arm round Rogue and leading her off after Kitty and Peter.

Jack rolled her eyes and wandered over to the buffet table, grabbing herself a sandwich and going to join Jubilee.

"Not going with Rogue and the others?" Jubilee asked with surprise.

"Nah," Jack said, "In a choice between food and alcohol I'd pick food any day."

Jubilee laughed.

"Not to mention they will be all gross and couple-y," the younger girl said with a shudder.

"I was more worried about drunk Kitty," Jack said.

Jubilee started talking about another birthday party a while ago, when the champagne hadn't been so heavily guarded, but Jack stopped listening, looking over at a young boy who was sat on his own.

"Who's that?" she asked, interrupting the girl's story.

"Oh, um, that's Jimmy," Jubilee said.

Jack remembered the name Jimmy being mentioned when she first arrived, but with so many names and so many people she had never associated it with a face.

"Why is he all on his own?" she asked.

"He has this sort of field around him which suppresses the X-gene," Jubilee explained, "not many of the kids his age like to hang around with him because of it."

Jack nodded, then wandered over to where Jimmy was sat.

* * *

Jimmy sat a little way away from the others, smiling as they larked about, playing party games and having fun. He wasn't going to join them, instead he had a book he intended to read.

"Aren't you going to join in?" someone asked him.

There was a gentle thud as that someone sat down beside him. Jimmy looked up to see Jack, wearing her dungarees as always, smiling down at him. Jimmy shut his book and sat up a bit. He had seen her around but had never spoken to her.

"They don't like it when I join in too much," he said, "I take their powers away, and they don't like it."

"Do you like reading?" Jack asked, nodding towards his book.

"Yeah," Jimmy said. He picked up his book again. It was a very well read copy of Harry Potter.

"What's it about?"

"Wizards and magic," he said.

"Will you read a bit to me?"

"You don't mind being around me? Even though I take away your powers?" Jimmy asked.

"I can live without them for a while," Jack said with a shrug, "So will you read to me?"

"Sure!" Jimmy opened his book and began to read. Jack lay back on the grass and closed her eyes, listening to him. Jimmy smiled, glad for the company.

On the other side of the garden Warren stood watching them. It was kind of Jack to treat Jimmy to a bit of attention. It wasn't that the other kids didn't like him, they just didn't like what he did to them, and as a consequence they rarely spent more than ten minutes in his company.

"You ought to be careful, people will start to think you're taking more than a professional interest in her," Logan said.

"What?" Warren asked, turning to him.

"I see where you were looking," Logan said.

"I was looking at Jimmy, I hope you don't think I'm taking more than a professional interest in him," Warren said dryly.

Logan smirked.

"Sure, whatever," he said, then wandered off over to where Storm was stood drinking champagne.

Warren turned back to Jimmy and Jack. Jack was now teasing him about something, poking him in the side as the young boy laughed, blushing slightly. It was sweet and made Warren smile. He didn't want to look for too long though, he didn't want to give Logan any ideas.

* * *

The Brotherhood gathered in their old forest hideout, almost as many as they had been before Alcatraz. They had lost a few to the Phoenix but the rest were in the process of recovering from the cure. The lair was a hive of activity as powers were tested and stretched in preparation for the attack they had planned.

"Are we looking to take prisoners?" Callisto asked Magneto.

"Not necessarily, my dear," Magneto said, "We just want to scare them, remind them we are back in business."

"Won't they tell everyone?" Arclight asked, "We'll have everyone on our backs!"

"I don't think so," Magneto said, "They need to keep people level minded about the mutant, ah, _problem_ so as to ensure a fair judgement at the world summit. It would be in their best interests to keep it quiet."

"So, we walk in, trash the place, leave before they start fighting back?" Pyro said.

"Yes, Pyro, scare them, scare the kids – and don't hold back," Magneto said, "There is only one student I want dead, but if there are any teacher casualties in the process, then I'm not going to be too upset."

"What student?" Callisto asked.

"The one they call 'Jimmy', the source of the cure," Magneto said darkly, "We can't have him inadvertently creating a permanent cure now, can we?"

"No problem," Pyro said, forming a ball of flame in his hand.

* * *

Some time later Warren decided to go for a walk through the nearest park, to get away from the mansion for a while. All the kids were busy playing games, the older students were hiding away somewhere, probably with a few bottles of alcohol and the adults were all talking over champagne.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was starting to dip in the sky. The light was still as bright as midday, but the edge had come off the heat and a slight breeze had picked up – perfect weather for a stroll. Warren made his way to the park, ignoring the people who stared at him as he walked past. Some mutants had it easy really – people like Storm, Logan and most of the kids wouldn't stand out in a crowd. He and Hank stood out like sore thumbs. There was really no fitting in when you had an enormous pair of wings or bright blue fur…

"Can you actually fly?"

Warren turned round to see Jack stood a little way behind him, her arms folded across her chest, her hair blowing slightly in the breeze. She must have followed him all the way from the mansion without him realising it.

"Yes," he told her, turning to face her properly.

"Will you take me somewhere?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"As high as you can go," she replied, looking up at the sky. She brushed her hair out of her eyes with her hand, gazing upwards with a hint of longing. Today she was wearing a long sleeved t-shirt with sleeves that covered her hands, but she still had her bracelets on underneath Warren noted with a smile. She seemed to have tried to dress up a bit for the party, though her hair looked as unbrushed as ever.

Warren was never sure how to take Jack. She didn't treat him like a teacher like the rest of the students tended to, so he found it hard to treat her like a student, but then she was his student so he found it hard to treat her like one of the adults too. Despite this enigma, he did quite enjoy her company, and so decided to oblige.

"As high as I can go?" He said, wrapping his arms round her waist and leaping into the air with her, "May I ask why?"

"I like the sky," she said, "I want to be close to it, just for a moment."

"You're a very strange girl, Jack," Warren said, beating his powerful wings, carrying them upwards.

He flew as high as he dared go then hovered for a moment, looking down at Jack to make sure she was ok. She didn't seem at all perturbed by their height, and they were hovering parallel with the tops of some skyscrapers. She had her eyes closed and was breathing with deep contentment, her head resting against his chest.

One half of Warren was glad that she looked so happy, the other was nagging at him in Logan's voice, saying if this wasn't taking more than a professional interest, then what was?

* * *

Please review! and wish me luck (gonna need it...)


	9. Attack Of The Brotherhood

Meh, I'm not sure about this one... it reads a little, err, jumpy. I dunno. Anyway, decided I've been staring at it thinking 'It's not right' for long enough, so I'm gonna post it anyway, hope it's alright! Any advice on where you think it went a bit off and how to make it better would be appreciated:)

* * *

The next few days after the party, Storm deliberated about her decision. Most of the staff were considering their points of view, trying to assist Storm in making her difficult choice, but Warren was distracted by something else.

He had been watching Jack very closely (not for the reasons Logan had alluded to) and was noticing things about her. They were just small things, a little expression, a hint of something in her face, but Warren was beginning to get suspicions about her, and the more he watched, the more certain he was that they weren't based on nothing.

The trick was going to be bringing it up without offending her, or worse embarrassing her in front of her friends and classmates. Jack exuded confidence, but Warren thought this was probably just a façade to hide a deeper insecurity. It would explain why she was so reluctant to talk about her past anyway.

So, while Storm and the others deliberated how best to deal with their problems, Warren deliberated how to subtly confirm his suspicions then approach Jack without upsetting her in any way.

* * *

Rogue poked her head round Jack's bedroom door. She was lying on her bed, listening to a CD that Rogue recognised as one of Kitty's. Jack looked up at her.

"Mind if I join you for a while?" Rogue asked, "Only, my roommate wants some alone time with her boyfriend…" she added, rolling her eyes.

"No problem," Jack said with a grin, hitting the power button on her CD player and sitting up.

"Thanks," Rogue said.

It was quite late, and Rogue felt ready to collapse into bed, but she owed Kitty some time. The girl had put herself out numerous times before so Rogue could share some alone time with Bobby.

"It'll only be til midnight," Rogue said, "then I can head back to my room."

"Stay here if you want," Jack said with a shrug, "You look ready to fall asleep now."

"I feel it," Rogue said, yawning.

Her nightmares were getting worse. It was the same image, but clearer and somehow more affecting, and more often. She couldn't shake it, and that meant many a sleepless night.

"Go on," Jack said, "It's two hours til midnight, you're going to fall asleep in that time anyway, you may as well do it deliberately."

"You don't mind?" Rogue asked, smiling gratefully.

"What a stupid question, of course I don't!" Jack said, throwing her over a spare set of pyjamas.

* * *

Rogue awoke with a gasp. For a moment she was disorientated, until she recalled that she was in Jack's room. There was no clock, but she guessed it was early morning. The whole house was silent, so it had to be at least past midnight.

"Do you always have nightmares?" Jack's voice seemed horribly loud in the near silence, even though it was barely above a whisper.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Rogue asked guiltily, "Kitty sleeps like a log, I've never disturbed her before."

"I'm a light sleeper," Jack said.

Rogue sat up in bed. Her head was filled with images again – the same images of the city and the girl. She had to do something about it.

"Jack, can I ask you something?" she said.

"Sure," Jack said, sitting up too.

"When I touch someone, I absorb their life force, and with it their memories," she said, "Often after touching someone I get a head full of strange images and feelings that I'm not even sure belong to me, or not. Part of me knows that they aren't mine, but on the other hand they become so wrapped up in my own memories, it's very hard to separate them out."

"That must give you a headache," Jack said. Rogue smiled, though she doubted Jack could see in the darkness.

"Since I touched you, I've been having memories of things that I can't even begin to understand or explain, and yeah, it gives me a headache, and nightmares. I was wondering if you could help me out, just to make sense of the pictures a little bit. Even if you just say that they are definitely memories of yours, that will help," Rogue said, "That way at least I might not struggle to remember what they have to do with me!"

"I'll do what I can," Jack said, sitting forwards a bit, "What was your nightmare about?"

Rogue told her of the city and the people living in poverty, of the overwhelming sense of despair she felt whenever she was there. Jack listened to her speak, a very guarded expression on her face.

"It doesn't look anything like Britain though," Rogue finished.

"I've travelled a lot," Jack said with a shrug, "You're probably just remembering something I've forgotten, a memory from when I was really young."

"It looked like Africa, or some poor country in Asia or something," Rogue said, "Have you ever been to Africa?"

"I…" Jack began, but suddenly looked over towards the window, frowning, "Did you hear that?"

"No," Rogue said, following Jack's gaze, "What…"

Jack put her finger to her lips and Rogue stopped talking. She listened in the silence, thinking at first that Jack was being crazy, but then she could hear it too. Faintly in the distance.

"Footsteps," Rogue said.

Jack went over to the window and teased the blind apart with her fingers, peering out at the grounds.

"It's probably just a couple of people out for a midnight stroll," Rogue said, joining her at the window.

"There are at least ten people, and one has really heavy footsteps," Jack said, "And they're heading in this direction."

"How can you tell all that?" Rogue asked.

"Listening," Jack said, "You should try it sometime!"

It was a minor poke, but Rogue let it slide and listened. To start with she could still just hear footsteps (which was quite an achievement in itself – they were very quiet) but as she strained to hear better suddenly the sounds took on a whole new depth.

Rogue became very aware of Jack breathing next to her. Never before had the simple function of taking breath sounded so loud to her. Outside she could hear leaves rustling in a light wind, and down the corridor someone was tossing fitfully in their sleep. Rogue trained her ears on the footsteps.

Jack was right, there was quite a number of them, Rogue estimated about twenty. One had really heavy footsteps, thudding into the ground, another walked in step with at least two other people, like they were marching together. But in and amongst all the sounds of feet and walking, Rogue could hear something else.

Click, click, click. The flicking noise of a zippo lighter being opened and shut continuously – a noise that Rogue would recognise anywhere.

"Pyro…" she murmured fearfully.

Rogue took over looking out of the gap in the blind. After about two minutes searching, her eyes fell across the Brotherhood gathered at the gate. She looked up at Jack with horror etched in her features.

"Go," Jack said, "Get all the teachers awake, I'll take the dormitories and get everyone out of here."

Rogue nodded, and after grabbing her gloves off the table, ran out of the room. Jack picked up her dressing gown and threw it over her shoulders as the metal gate was ripped from the wall by Magneto's power, and ran out of the room after Rogue.

She sped down the corridor, throwing open the first door she came to, which was Rogue's room. Kitty was asleep in bed.

"Kitty!" Jack called, shaking her awake.

"What?" Kitty said sleepily, "What time is it?"

"Time to get up!" Jack said, dragging her out of bed.

"It's still dark…" Kitty protested.

She was just about standing up when a crash startled her awake.

"What was that?" she whispered fearfully.

"That was probably Juggernaut crashing through the wall," Jack said matter-of-factly, "We need to get everyone awake and out of here right now."

Kitty nodded, and ran through the nearest wall. Jack ran out of the door and down the opposite corridor, opening the door to a dormitory of younger students. They were all sat up in bed, having been woken by the commotion.

"What's going on?" one of the children whimpered.

"You have to come with me," Jack said, "You have to get out of here now, head for the escape tunnels!"

The kids looked at her nervously, shaking their heads, too afraid to move. Jack could hear the Juggernaut advancing up the stairs towards them.

"Come on!" Jack said, grabbing the hand of the nearest one, "I'll get you safe, I promise, now we have to move!"

She pulled them into the corridor, and went on to the next room.

* * *

Warren's room was a little way away from the other teacher suites. Storm had had the consideration to give him one with a balcony so that he might stretch his wings once in a while, but that meant he was stuck in a completely different area to everyone else.

Being a relatively light sleeper, he woke up to the sounds of crashing without the need for a wakeup call. He walked out of his room, looking for the source of the chaos. Students were running down the corridor, apparently away from something, or someone. The students he could see were mostly the younger, more defenceless ones.

"Get behind me!" he called, standing in the centre of the corridor, spreading his wings wide so they blocked the way.

The last few kids ducked beneath them and joined the others, cowering behind him. One last student ran round the corner, looking back the way they had come, heading straight towards him. Warren caught Jack in his arms before she could crash into him and looked down at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Are all the others safe?" Jack asked, her messy hair was everywhere and she looked anxious, "I promised I would get them safe!"

"They're behind me, now what are you all running from?"

His question was answered, not by Jack, but by the Juggernaut charging round the corner, head down as he built up momentum.

Warren knew he couldn't stop the Juggernaut, nothing could. He gripped Jack by the upper part of her arms, ready to drag her out of the way, but she held out her hands in front of her, shooting out her unique green energy, encompassing the Juggernaut with it. For a moment he kept moving, but slowly his momentum was ground to a halt, with Jack straining to keep him back. He stopped about an inch from them. As Jack held him in position, Warren noticed with a wry smile that she wore her beloved bracelets even in bed. They were glowing green with the rest of her hands as she lifted the Juggernaut and threw him back the way he had come, out of the window at the end of the corridor.

Storm and Logan suddenly appeared from round the corner. Storm looked from Jack to the window, figuring out what happened, then ran to direct the kids into the network of escape tunnels all round the mansion. Logan looked at Warren who was still holding Jack and raised an eyebrow at him, before running off somewhere else to pick another fight.

"Nice job," Warren said to Jack, "I thought for a moment he wasn't going to stop."

"So did I," Jack said, breathing a little heavier than usual.

He let go of her arms and she stepped away from him. She looked very funny not in her dungarees but in her pyjamas. She had at least had the thought to grab a dressing gown, unlike Warren who was stood in the corridor wearing only a loose pair of trousers. Jack had also noticed this, and grinned.

"Don't let Kitty see you like that, she might fall through the floor in shock," she said, before running off after Logan.

Warren watched her go, then ran forwards and leapt out of the broken window to find his own fight somewhere else.

* * *

There was one student who was still in his room. The Juggernaut had charged down the corridor, followed by the rest of the Brotherhood before he had had the chance to escape. Now all he could do was cower in the corner and hope no one noticed him until it was all over. Not that he would have been able to do much else outside of his room. In fact it would probably have been worse if he had managed to get out on time. He would have rendered all the rest of the group useless.

Jimmy sat hidden behind his bed, too afraid to even move to take a look to see if the coast was clear. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself, because he knew he couldn't fight them off. He might remove their powers, but a strong hand could still strangle him, powers or no.

All around the sounds of fighting echoed through the corridors. Bangs, shouts, explosions, Jimmy could hear just about everything from the corner of his room, and it made him want to cry. All this anger and resentment because of him, because of what his genes had done. He'd only ever wanted to help people – he thought the cure they developed from him at Worthington labs would make people happy, and it had, but it had also made people angry.

A sudden loud bang made Jimmy look up. Someone was throwing doors open down the corridor, and they were coming towards him. He hid behind his bed, peaking over the top of it as high as he dared while trying to stay hidden.

As the door to the room next to him was thrown open, Jimmy closed his eyes and ducked lower. He didn't have the courage to look, all his courage had deserted him. His door flew open.

"Jimmy!" Jack's voice was like sweet music.

Jimmy opened his eyes and looked up at the older girl.

"We have to get you out of here, come on!" she said, holding out her hand to him.

Jimmy hesitated, but Jack wasn't going to let him stay behind. She leaned over and grabbed him, dragging him out of the room.

"Come on," she said, "Help me see if anyone else got left behind."

She threw each door they passed open and looked briefly round the room. Jimmy went to the next door along, doing the same.

"I think that's everyone," she said, grabbing him by the hand once more and turning back the way they had come.

Together they ran down the corridor a little way, but on turning a corner they came face to face with Pyro, who was standing with both his hands on fire, ready.

"Back, back!" Jack said, dragging Jimmy back again.

As they rounded the corner again, they nearly collided with Callisto, who was blocking their escape route. They were trapped.

"Hello again Jack," Callisto said, advancing on them, close but not too close – she knew what getting too close to Jimmy did to your powers.

"Nice jammies," Pyro said with a smirk, teasing them by shooting jets of flame towards them.

Jack wrapped her arms round Jimmy defensively, trying to keep her eyes on both Callisto and Pyro at the same time.

"Why don't you let us kill him, Jack?" Pyro said, "Then you could put up a decent fight. You might even stand a chance that way."

Jack didn't say anything, and Jimmy couldn't help wondering if she was thinking about it.

"Or have the X-men ways rubbed off on you to the point where you would actually sacrifice yourself to try and save him?"

Jimmy tried to run off as Pyro and Callisto edged closer, but Jack's hand gripped his shoulder, digging into his skin so he couldn't go anywhere.

"Stay exactly where you are," she whispered to him, "If you move they'll kill you in an instant."

Callisto had heard their little exchange with her superhuman sense and laughed.

"We're going to kill you both anyway," she said, "Why put off the inevitable?"

"You aren't going to kill anyone," Jack said.

"And how exactly do you intend to stop us?" Callisto looked very smug. Jack had to wipe that look off her face.

"Like this," she said, shooting her energy rays from her hands and sending them both flying backwards out of windows.

Jimmy stared at her in as much shock as Pyro and Callisto had as they sailed out of the corridor and into the night.

"How?" he asked, "Your powers shouldn't work around me!"

Jack knelt beside him.

"Can you keep a secret?" she asked.

Jimmy nodded.

"I'm not a mutant," she said, then stood up, grabbed his hand and they ran together down the corridors towards the escape tunnels.

* * *

Please review! Xx


	10. Going Public

Thank you for all the reviews! Glad to see that last little plot twist caught you all by surprise :) Hopefully the rest will too evil grin

And now for chapter ten:

* * *

The fight lasted well into the early hours of the morning, but with the children all escaping into the network of tunnels, and those strong enough to fight fighting, the Brotherhood knew there was little chance of finding Jimmy. They had done what they set out to do. They had caused their chaos, so they left before they started taking damage and suffering losses, leaving the school in a moderately destroyed state. Several people were wounded, though fortunately none seriously.

Storm rushed around, rounding up all the children and sending them back to bed. The early wake up call and the stress of the attack had left many of them exhausted. Morning lessons were cancelled, and any who had enough energy were dedicating it to restoring the mansion. Currently they were working on repairing the window that Jack had sent the Juggernaut through.

"You must have some power in you, girl," Storm said as she held up a sheet of plastic for Jack to tack into place, a temporary fix while they waited on some proper builders, "I was told nothing on Earth could stop the Juggernaut once he built up momentum."

Jack frowned, giving Storm a quirky little look before shrugging.

"He almost didn't," she said, "I guess he hadn't built up quite enough momentum to become unstoppable."

"I guess," Storm replied, stepping back from the broken window.

Her mind was still racing from the attack, and all the things she had had to organise and do since, but one thing had at least become clear. She knew exactly what answer she was going to give the President.

* * *

The jobs they could do were over by the afternoon, but Storm called a halt to all lessons anyway. People were still tired, emotionally and physically, and she thought it was only fair to both students and teachers. She would leave it a day before telling everyone of her decision, though Hank had already guessed her mind.

"I know what you're thinking," he said, "And I think you've made the right choice."

Warren also guessed, though he never said anything to her. He could just tell. Years of sitting in the background, watching people had left him very good at reading faces. He was just deliberating whether or not to call up his Father when his Father called him.

"Hi son, how are you?" Warren Worthington Senior asked.

Warren could have fought with him, made it difficult, but after all the fighting the previous night he didn't have any fight left in him.

"Hi Dad, I'm doing alight," he said, running his hands through his curly blonde hair as he tried to think what to say next. His Father seemed to be having the same problem.

"Son, I…" he began before faltering, "I need to talk to you about something, are you busy?"

"No," Warren replied. It came out a little shorter than he intended.

He hadn't really spoken to his Father in the six months that had passed since Alcatraz. They had never officially not been talking, but hardly any communication had passed between them. It was like they had made some subconscious agreement that each needed their own space.

"The President came to speak to me the other day," Mr. Worthington began, "He told me that the issue of public safety is the main concern to be discussed at the upcoming Summit."

"Yes…" Warren said, wondering where this was going.

"He asked me how I felt about manufacturing the Cure as a weapon."

Warren didn't speak for a moment as his Father's statement hung in the air. He didn't know what to say – why was his Father telling him this?

"I told him that I…" Mr. Worthington stammered through the uncomfortable silence, "I told him that I couldn't make a decision, without talking to you first."

"To me?" Warren echoed, surprise in his voice. His Father sighed before continuing.

"I've come to realise in these last six months that the only opinion that really matters to me is yours. I was quite happy to tell the President 'yes, of course', but I couldn't, not without clearing it with you first."

Warren couldn't even begin to think of anything to say to that. Was this his Father, the esteemed Warren Worthington II, finally coming down a level and apologising?

"It's your call, Warren," his Father said softly.

Warren thought of the attacks, of the kids running down his corridor in terror from the Juggernaut, of Jack in his arms straining with all her might to keep the children safe. Like Storm there was really only one decision he could make.

"Do it," he said firmly, "tell the President he can use the cure as a weapon."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Warren said.

"Well then, I better go," his Father was stammering slightly again, like he had something else to say but didn't quite know how to say it. Warren had something else to say too.

"Dad," he interrupted, "The X-men, we're going public."

* * *

"You do realise the kids are gonna want in on this?" Logan said. It was the next day and Storm had just told him her decision.

"Then we must devise a system, one that will help us decide if they are ready for that or not," she answered, "Something they won't be able to argue against if they fail, something impartial."

"Stick them in a program in the Danger Room, let that decide," Logan suggested, "If they can't hack that, then there's no way they get a suit. Simple."

"But what level do we set it at?" Storm asked, "Turn that thing up onto full danger and even you couldn't 'hack' it. How do we judge what sort of danger we will be facing in the outside world?"

"What level do you reckon you could handle, confidently?" Logan asked.

"I don't know, five or six?" Storm replied.

"Then start there – anyone who can't handle level five is eliminated immediately, the rest we'll worry about later."

"I've always admired the way you make things sound so simple, Logan," Storm said with a smile.

"I just don't think too much," Logan said with a shrug.

* * *

Bobby breezed through Level Five. He had done it before enough times in training sessions with the teachers, he knew what to expect. Peter and Kitty were the same, Level Five gave them no hassle. Considering that they already had suits, it was almost a given that they would be part of the team anyway.

The ones Storm was watching were Jack and Rogue. She doubted that Rogue's power would count for much on the battlefield, and so was surprised that she breezed through it at least as easily as Kitty.

Rogue herself seemed fairly surprised. She found herself listening, like Jack had suggested, and through listening was able to predict the pattern of attack the guards used. This allowed her to dispatch them with a few basic fighting moves that she had been taught during previous danger room sessions.

Jack was the last to take the test. She stood in the centre of the room as the simulation switched on all around her. Storm stood outside, watching.

Jack was calm as the guards approached her. She had trained herself to deal with situations like this long ago. She wasn't too happy about protecting other people, but she could protect herself.

Storm didn't think that Jack was going to move, but at the last minute, she took out two circular items from her pocket, charging them with the green energy that emitted from her hands. Like a discus thrower, she span round then released them. The energy added extra momentum to the spinning discs and knocked the men backwards before lodging in the walls. The men dragged themselves to their feet at various speeds, allowing her to pick them off one by one.

Storm watched with interest. Jack's fighting style was raw and unrefined, but a bit of training would sort that. She was surprisingly strong for such a scrawny girl, and made easy work of them. Though Storm wasn't too happy about taking on the students, she knew Jack, given a little training, would make a strong new addition to the team.

* * *

Warren sat with Bobby, Kitty and Peter, feeling a little ridiculous wearing his outfit. It fit him perfectly and left his wings to move freely and comfortably. He was no superhero though, and that was what he felt like he was trying to be, sat with the kids he normally taught, who could teach him so much about battles and fighting, having much more experience than he did in such matters.

"Doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?" Jack's voice echoed from the fitting room just beyond them, making everyone sat in the line laugh.

"Not exactly," Rogue said in reply. She sounded a bit uncomfortable.

"Hurry up!" Bobby called out to his girlfriend and her best friend.

"We're hurrying!" Rogue called back indignantly.

She stepped out from behind the doors and gave a little twirl.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think you are definitely going to be a major distraction to the enemy," Bobby said, standing up and walking over to her.

"Hey!" Rogue said, punching him on the arm. Bobby actually flinched.

"Ouch!" he said, "I swear you're getting stronger."

He slipped his arm round her shoulders and led her over to the bench where he had been sitting with the others. From another entrance Logan, Hank and Mystique walked in.

"Everyone suited up?" Hank asked.

"Just waiting for Jack now," Rogue said.

"I'm coming!" Jack said, walking through the door.

Warren tried to resist looking over at her, as he knew how Logan would interpret it, but in the end he couldn't help it. Like Kitty's outfit had a pink stripe, Jack's had a green one to match the colour of her energy beams. The other difference between it and everyone else's was it had a utility belt incorporated into the design. She had attached onto it a couple of boomerang like objects and her penknife. Warren was so busy wondering what they were for that he didn't notice he was staring, and he also didn't notice Wolverine approach.

"Now look me in the eye and tell me you're not interested," he said, before walking off again.

* * *

Storm smiled as the new recruits stood before her, but she had one last thing to say.

"Now, you have successfully made it this far on your own strength and merit, but as the leader of the X-men and the Headmistress of this school, I reserve the right to kick you off the team at any time," she said, "This isn't a game, and it's not about glory and fame. We are a team, and we work together as a team to ensure the safety of first ourselves, then everyone else. If you can't work together in the group, or for any reason put us in danger, then you will have your suits taken off you faster than you can say your codename. Do you all understand?"

There was a chorus of agreement, and Storm nodded, before leaving with Hank to talk to the President.

* * *

Jack walked upstairs into the living room, holding her suit in her arms. It was empty except for Jimmy, who was sat on the sofa reading.

"Hey Jimmy!" she said, walking over to sit by him.

He looked up at her warily, with a hint of hurt and anger in his eyes.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"You're the matter!" Jimmy snapped, slamming his book shut and storming out of the room. Jack watched him go with a bemused expression on her face, before running after him.

"What have I done?" she asked as she chased him down the corridor towards his room.

"I thought you were my friend!" he said, sounding close to tears.

"What? I still am aren't I?" Jack tried to follow him into his room, but was met with a door in her face. She tried the handle but it had been locked, "Jimmy?"

"Go away!" he said.

"Jimmy, let me in," Jack said softly, turning the handle gently.

Jimmy didn't answer, and there was no sound of him getting up to open the door.

"Jimmy, let me in or I'll get Warren to fly me up to your window so I can get in that way," she said.

There was a shuffling round inside, but the door didn't unlock. Jack slumped against the wall, frustrated. She was worried about Jimmy and wanted to know what was bothering him. He seemed to be so fragile, and she hated to think that she had done something to upset him.

"What are you doing down here, Jack?" the welcome voice of Warren asked from somewhere above her.

Jack looked up to see him looking down at her with a confused expression.

"I've done something to upset Jimmy, but he won't let me in to talk about it," she said, "So, I'm glad you're here, because I said if he wouldn't let me in I'd get you to fly me round to his window."

She hauled herself to her feet.

"What have you done to upset him?" Warren asked.

"I don't know, that's why I need to talk to him," Jack said, "So, you going to help me out here or what?"

Warren wasn't too thrilled about the idea of flying her up to Jimmy's window, but he didn't have to in the end, because before he could even voice his protest Jimmy unlocked the door.

"Fine," the young boy said, "come in."

_Thank you_, Jack mouthed to him as she followed Jimmy into his room.

"You're welcome," Warren said to the empty corridor, before shaking his head and continuing on to his classroom, thoroughly bemused.

* * *

"So, care to explain what's got you so mad at me?" Jack asked, sitting herself on Jimmy's bed.

She was casual and familiar like that – just doing whatever she felt like, without thinking about the company she was in. She probably would have done the same in anyone else's room.

"I always thought that you didn't care about my mutation," Jimmy said.

"I don't," Jack said, "I don't care about anybody's mutation, it's the person that counts."

"But it's no great hardship for you not to care about my mutation!" Jimmy said angrily, "I thought you were a really great friend, sitting by me even though it cost you a piece of yourself, but you don't lose anything!"

"Jimmy, I would have come and sat by you if it meant losing a piece of me, my powers, or not," Jack said.

Jimmy just glowered coldly, looking away from her.

"Jimmy," Jack said softly, "I get the feeling it's not even me you're angry at."

Jimmy sniffed, and a solitary tear dripped down his cheek.

"They don't like me because of who I am, because of what I do," he said, small sobs catching in his throat, "They're no better than all those Mutant-hating people out there. I get the worst of both worlds – everyone hates me. _I_ hate me."

"I don't hate you," Jack said, "And I know at least one other person in this school who doesn't hate you. In fact, I would say she probably loves you, because you gave her the happiest six months of her life."

Jimmy stopped glowering and looked over at Jack.

"We shouldn't measure ourselves on what difference we make to the world," Jack said, "Else we'd all hate ourselves for being so insignificant. You've got to look at the smaller picture, and the difference you make to certain people's lives. If the fact that you could do so much for one person doesn't make you like yourself just a little… well, I don't know what else I could say to cheer you up."

Jimmy closed his eyes and more tears dripped down his face. Jack shuffled closer to him and pulled him into a reassuring hug.

"You've got a gift, Jimmy, a very special one. Don't let anyone else ever make you think otherwise."

They sat together in silence for a while, until the harsh school bell rang. Jack didn't go to leave.

"Don't you have a lesson now?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah, English, but I'm not going anywhere until I see a genuine smile on that face of yours."

"You'll get in trouble," Jimmy sounded a little concerned.

"Probably," Jack said, "But Warren knows I'm here, so he can come and get me if he wants me in his class that bad."

Jimmy smiled, just a little.

"That's better," Jack said, "And if I ever hear you say that you hate yourself again, I will have to tickle you relentlessly until you take it back, young man."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Jimmy said, "For being mad at you."

"Hey, that's ok," Jack said with a shrug, "Everyone needs to get mad once in a while."

"I don't think I've ever seen you even upset," Jimmy said.

"Well, you've known me the grand total of about two weeks, so that's not really surprising."

"I can't imagine you getting mad."

"I'm scary when I'm mad," Jack said with a grin.

"You don't seem to care enough about anything to get scary-mad," Jimmy said.

"I care about two things very much," Jack said, "But I don't let anything else bother me."

"What are those two things?" Jimmy asked.

"My friends," Jack said.

"That's one thing."

"I'm not going to tell you what the other thing is," Jack said.

"Professor Worthington…" Jimmy muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Jack said with a grin, before tickling him, "What do you think my name is, hey? Kitty?"

Jimmy laughed until his sides ached, before convincing Jack to stop. They then spent a happy hour talking and laughing together like there had never been any argument.

"I suppose I better go and see what I missed," Jack said, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Yeah, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me," Jimmy said.

Jack opened the door and walked out of it, before poking her head back round one last time.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't asked me yet."

"What, about 'what are you if you aren't a mutant'?" Jimmy said.

"Yeah," Jack replied. The young boy shrugged.

"I know you don't like answering questions, especially when they're about you," he said, "You're my friend and that's all that matters."

Jack smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you," she said and clicked the door shut.

* * *

"Sorry I missed your lesson."

Warren was busy packing away his things when he heard Jack's voice from the doorway. He looked up to see her standing there in all her untidy glory. She didn't look at all worried about getting in trouble, which was typical Jack – totally unconcerned and unafraid.

"How's Jimmy?" Warren asked, standing up.

"He's fine now," she said, "I think he's a bit lonely – the other kids don't like him too much, because of what he does to them."

"I know," Warren said, "and I should be telling you off really, but I'm just glad that someone is finally taking the time to talk to that boy."

"He's a nice kid," Jack said with a shrug.

Warren nodded, piling up the last few books on his desk and sweeping some papers into a briefcase.

"So, what did I miss?"

"The work is on the board," Warren nodded over to the chalkboard in the corner of the room.

He watched her closely this time. That slight flicker of some emotion crossed her face, anxiety, perhaps, or worry. It was quickly replaced by cool and emotionless as she looked over at the board, her eyes scanning across it.

"Ok," she said, "I'll do that when I get a spare minute – I don't have a lesson tomorrow morning, so I should be able to catch up then."

"Ok, it's not much really, you shouldn't have a problem, now go get yourself some lunch before you miss that too!" Warren said.

Jack smiled at him then left the room, closing the door behind her. Warren sighed guiltily and looked over at the board. On it was written only two words.

_Nice try…

* * *

_

Jack found her way over to where Rogue was sitting and joined her.

"Hey, Jack, missed you in English today, where did you get to?" Rogue said, budging up on the bench to make room for her friend.

"With Jimmy," Jack said, "He was upset so I decided it was more important that I stayed and cheered him up than go to lesson. Did I miss much?"

"Not really," Rogue said.

"Mind bringing me up to speed?" Jack asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Not at all," Rogue said, and proceeded to explain the lesson. Neither girl noticed Warren watching them closely.

* * *

Congrats to creeativ who guessed this little plot detail aaaagees ago! (sorry I didn't acknowledge you sooner - just didn't want to give the game away to everyone else! And yeah about going to see the movie - i'd never read any alex rider books before, but my little sister got the lot for her birthday so one day when I was ill I just sat and read them all :) can't wait to see the film it looks dead good!)

Reviews are appreciated muchly as always!


	11. Jack's Problem

Thanks for all the lovely reviews, here's the next chapter for you!

* * *

The X-Men made their first public appearance the next day. It was a small slot on a news announcement which involved Storm declaring their promise to protect the human and mutant societies as best they could, while everyone else stood in the background trying to look cool.

Magneto was among the millions who tuned in to watch it.

"This is a most unexpected move," he said with a low chuckle, "I didn't think you had it in you, Ororo."

"What of the plan?" Callisto asked, "Does this change anything?"

"No, not really – they have stood in our way before without the public backing them, their role in our plan will be no different," Magneto said, turning off the TV, "Have you got it?"

"Piece of cake," Callisto said, holding up a gun.

"Excellent," Magneto said, "Now we wait."

"For what?" Pyro demanded. He didn't like waiting.

"For an opportunity to damage further the already fragile bonds between Warren Worthington Senior and his son," Magneto said, "We will scare him into stopping the production of the 'cure' by using it to turn the one person he truly cares about against him."

"Why don't we just threaten to kill him?" Pyro asked.

"Because violence will only strengthen his resolve to destroy the mutant race," Magneto said, "if we want to get Mr. Worthington to do exactly what we want, we have to break his heart, not his body."

Magneto ejected the cartridge of the gun. It was loaded with cure bullets. An evil smile spread across his lips and he loaded the gun again, handing it back to Callisto.

"You know what to do."

* * *

Later that week, once the builders had been and gone and things were finally settling back to normal, Warren found the time between his lessons to talk to Storm. He made his way to her office where she was talking with Hank about something.

"Hello Warren, did you want something?" Storm asked.

"I want to talk to you about Jack," he said.

"What about her?" Storm asked, suddenly paying him complete attention, her conversation with Hank forgotten. Hank was also watching him with interest.

"She can't read," Warren said bluntly. When Storm and Hank didn't say anything he elaborated, "Think about it – she never takes any notes, she can't work computers, she never volunteers any information in class, simply claiming to have a good memory. Because whenever you quiz her about the lesson she can remember with incredible accuracy, you don't question it, but…"

"But she's so intelligent," Storm said, "How could a nineteen year old, capable of learning an entire language in a few days, not have taught herself to read and write?"

"I don't know," Warren said with a shrug, "But I'm absolutely certain that she can't. I've been watching her for a while because I suspected it, I had to trick her to confirm it, which I didn't like doing, but thought it was for the greater good."

"Have you spoken to her about it?" Storm asked.

Warren shook his head.

"No," he said, "I wasn't sure how best to approach the subject, and with all that's been going on lately, I haven't really had a chance."

"I'll talk to her," Hank said, "it's my job to talk about awkward subjects in awkward situations, making me perhaps the best qualified."

"Thanks," Warren said, "I would do it, but I must admit I wasn't looking forwards to the conversation."

"Miss Starbright is a spirited young lady, I'm sure she will bounce back from this," Hank said, "sometimes we have to suffer an embarrassment to improve ourselves. I'll go and find her now."

"I never even suspected," Storm said when the door clicked shut, "Just when I thought I was getting to know Jack Starbright she throws another surprise at us."

"Why do you call her that?" Warren asked.

"That's what Hank calls her, I assumed she had divulged her surname to him at some point."

Warren shook his head.

"It's the name of a character, in a book," he said.

"Oh," Storm said, then laughed, "Well, that's very like Hank, giving people clever nicknames…"

She fell silent for a moment then spoke again.

"Thank you, Warren," she said, "You must be far more observant than I am, I doubt I would have even noticed."

"I'm sure you would have eventually," Warren said.

"Probably to her great embarrassment," Storm said, "I'm glad you noticed in a discreet way – I can't be losing any more students and team mates."

* * *

Hank wandered through the corridors trying to locate Jack. She wasn't with the others in the lounge and nor was she in the kitchen or dining area. He was about to try her room when he heard the gentle melodic sound of the piano being played in the music room.

Curious, he wandered past. Last he remembered, none of the students except Kitty had any real musical training – and Kitty was watching TV with Rogue and Peter. Hank wasn't too surprised to find Jack sat in the music room at the grand piano, picking out the notes to the tune with confident fingers. Hank recognised the tune as one Kitty liked listening to.

When Jack came to the end of the piece he applauded.

"Andante, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, am I right?" he asked, crossing the room in a few large strides.

"You're showing off again," Jack pointed out. Hank laughed.

"Yes, I am," he said, looking at the music on the stand. It was the Titanic theme, another one of Kitty's favourites.

"Well, I'm impressed – not only do you play it very well, but you also play it from memory."

"I have…"

"…A good memory," Hank finished for her, grinning, "How long have you been learning piano for?"

"A while," Jack said with a vague shrug.

"Well, if you don't mind me interrupting your practising, I could use your help with something."

"Sure," Jack said, tucking the piano stool in and following him out of the room.

"I've been doing some work for my old college, translating ancient Latin documents into English," he said as they arrived at his classroom, "I don't have any trouble with the Latin, or the translating – it's just an incredibly time consuming process, and the deadline is fast catching up with me."

He ferreted around in his drawer for a document that would at least look appropriate, and hoped that Jack couldn't tell he was lying.

"It would be of great assistance to me if you could read out the document so that I can type it faster."

Jack fixed him with a look as he handed her the paper that let him know she knew he was tricking her, or attempting to anyway. She gave a small laugh and dropped the paper to the table.

"I can't," she said.

"I know," Hank said sympathetically, and apologetically, "I'm sorry for tricking you – I feared you would be defensive if I just asked you about it, and then I wouldn't be able to help you."

"No," Jack shook her head, "you don't understand – I can't read, you can't help me."

"It may seem like a difficult task now, but you are a bright girl – I'm sure with a bit of teaching you could learn."

Jack shook her head again.

"It's not that I haven't or I won't learn," she said, "I _can't_."

Hank just looked at her blankly, so she went on.

"I have a good memory," she said, "I play the piano and I can learn languages really easily. My mind works differently to yours. I work in sounds, not pictures."

Hank regarded her for a moment, aware that her eyes never left his as he studied her face. Like Mystique he was soon overwhelmed by the enormous depth to her eyes. She had seen suffering, this one. Pain, hurt and sorrow all swam at the surface of her eyes, hiding whatever lurked at their depths.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" Hank asked her gently.

Jack looked down at her feet, her brow furrowed. She took a deep breath then spoke.

"I've never had a piano lesson in my life, I've never been within a hundred miles of Britain and English is not my first language," she said, looking back up at him.

"I'd pretty much guessed all of that," Hank said with a sad smile.

* * *

Later that evening Kitty was sat on her bed reading, but put her book down as Rogue entered the room.

"Rogue, are you… ok?" Kitty asked.

Rogue, who had been smiling and almost dancing round the room stopped and looked across at Kitty, bemused.

"Yes?" she said, completely confused.

"Are you eating properly?" Kitty continued.

"What?" Rogue came and sat opposite Kitty, "What's this about Kit?"

"I'm worried about you, Rogue," Kitty said, "You're looking dead thin."

Rogue looked down at herself. She hadn't been watching her weight, or eating any less than usual, but Kitty was right, she had definitely got thinner.

"I'm not dieting or anything," she said, examining her arms.

"But you're starting to look almost as skinny as Jack, and that's not healthy Rogue," Kitty's voice was filled with concern.

Rogue wandered over to their mirror and looked at herself. Her collarbones were definitely more prominent and her arms and legs were looking distinctly bonier. She hadn't even noticed.

"My Mum got really depressed once and no matter how much she ate she kept losing weight," Kitty said, standing behind Rogue, "You don't sleep any more, Rogue, you're always tired and distracted. You know, ever since your powers came back you've been a different person. Different to how you were before you took the cure even."

"I feel different," Rogue said, "But I don't feel bad."

"You're wasting away," Kitty said, "There has to be a reason for that!"

"I promise you, Kit, I'm not not eating properly, and I'm certainly not depressed. You're right – I'm not sleeping very well, but I know why that is, and I'm trying to deal with it."

"Why aren't you sleeping then?" Kitty asked.

"Because I'm struggling to contain the memories that I acquire when I touch people, they've all resurfaced since my power came back, and I've been trying to sort them out, but it's just taking time."

"Well, you know we're all here for you, ok?"

"I know," Rogue said.

* * *

Warren stood on his balcony, stretching out his wings, watching the final stages of the sunset. The light breeze tugged at his blonde hair and rustled his feathers. He loved the feel of the wind, it was peaceful, but his peace was about to be disturbed.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Jack's voice said from next to him.

Warren turned round, forcing Jack to duck beneath his left wing. He thought she would snap at him, but as she sat back up again, one leg on either side of the railing around his balcony, her back against the wall, he saw she was grinning at him, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"How did you get there?" he asked.

"Climbed," Jack said with an unconcerned shrug, "You told them about me not being able to read."

"I thought you would be a little more… embarrassed," he said, failing to think of a more delicate word. Jack just shrugged again.

"There's no shame in not being able to do something," she said, "you can't shoot fire out of your hands, are you ashamed of that?"

Warren didn't point out that it was hardly a similar thing. Jack's leaps of logic either meant she didn't have a clue what she was talking about, or he didn't know enough about her to understand. He hadn't worked that one out yet.

"And what makes you think it was me anyway?" he asked.

"Because you're the only person here who pays any attention," she said with a shrug.

Warren looked at her, but she was staring at the night sky as if transfixed. Warren followed her gaze.

Overhead the sky was just reaching dark enough for the stars to come out, and a few were starting to shine. The moon was a pale crescent in the sky, still overpowered by what remained of the sunlight. It was going to be a beautiful night. Jack breathed in the crisp night air deeply, a look of contentment on her face.

"Do you know the names of any stars?" Warren asked her.

"Nope," Jack said, "But I will do, in about thirty seconds."

"And how are you going to manage that?" Warren turned to her, a smile on his face.

"You're going to tell me some," Jack said plainly.

"How do you know that I know any?" Warren asked.

"Because you wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't."

Warren laughed a little.

"Well maybe I do," he said, "but I'm not going to tell you any right now, because my balcony is not a proper place to be for a student, and you can get down the way you came up, thank you very much, because it would not look good if anyone saw you coming out of my room – imagine what Kitty would have to say about that…"

Jack laughed and swung her leg over so she was stood on the other side of the railing.

"Point taken, sir," she said with a wide grin, and began climbing down.

Warren watched her go, then returned to his room, shutting the door to the balcony. He had spoken to Hank since his brief interview with Jack, and knew of what she had said about her problem. Hank was quite determined to help her, but didn't really know where to start. He said he would dedicate all his spare time and energy to the project, but with everything that was going on at work, he didn't have much to spare.

Warren thought about this for a moment, then resolved that he would do everything he could to help as well. He had the contacts, people with money an power just as much as Hank, and he had an idea for a starting point. Tomorrow morning, before his lessons, he would go shopping.

* * *

Please review:)


	12. First Mission

Hey there! Thanks once again to all my readers and particularly my reviewers :)

A lot of people have said they have no idea where this is going. I can only hope that's a good thing lol. I do try to keep the suspense and mystery in my plots, but if I'm trying too hard and it's just confusing, please let me know! I do appreciate constructive critisism muchly.

Anyhoo, on with the story!

* * *

Hank was called to work very early the next morning, and left before most of the mansion was even awake. Things had been chaotic lately, with the representatives for the Summit arriving from all across the world, needing rooms, interpreters and all manner of other things that no one had managed to completely organise.

"I don't know, Henry," the President said as he marched down a corridor, looking very stressed, "I have reporters clamouring for interviews with the X-men, representatives who want their rooms in particular colours or facing a certain direction, and I've just found out that one of our interpreters has been in a car crash, so we are lacking an Xhosa speaker. She'll be fine, thankfully, but can't work for a while. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find someone who even speaks Xhosa fluently? Let alone someone who will pass all the vetting procedures to qualify them to work at something as important as this Summit. We are never going to be ready on time!"

"You have two weeks until the Summit, that's plenty of time," Hank said reassuringly.

"But less than a week until the welcome party, you know, it's a good job being President pays well!" the President managed a laugh.

"Well, you still have a sense of humour, so it can't all be bad," Hank said, "and as for your interpreter problems – do you have any sort of Linguaphone for Xhosa?"

"Yes, of course – but who knows anyone who can learn an entire language in less than a week?"

"I do," Hank said with a smile.

* * *

Warren was the next up in the mansion, and after dressing and quickly eating breakfast, he headed out into the city. Since the X-men had been on television he had started wearing his overcoat again, to keep his wings hidden. He was surprised to find that no one so much as looked twice at him.

The people of America (or New York at least) didn't seem to care about who was behind the costumes, and so far no papers had printed anything about the suspected identities of America's very own superheroes. Warren wondered if this had anything to do with the Government covering it up and stopping the media investigating.

He headed into a large bookstore and after a few minutes fruitless searching, asked a pretty young shop assistant for a hand. She was more than happy to help him, chatting flirtatiously as she showed him to the correct department, and even helped him locate exactly what he was looking for.

Warren wondered if she would have given him the same positive attention if she knew who he really was. Before, probably not. Now, maybe she would be even keener. It was funny what power the media had to change people's opinions. Someone else might have revelled in the attention it granted, but Warren knew it was fake, and subject to change at the slightest whim of the person calling the shots.

He thanked the girl for her time, giving her a rare smile, which made her blush in a pleased manner, then headed to pay for his purchases. As he stepped out of the store, he checked his watch. It was an hour before he had his first lesson, which gave him plenty of time for one more stop before he headed back.

* * *

Rogue was getting slightly annoyed at everyone treading eggshells round her. Though Kitty had only mentioned her concerns directly to her the night before, it was clear that she had been discussing it with Bobby and Peter before. They were all watching her to make sure she ate properly, being really kind and helpful, following her everywhere to make sure she was ok. Rogue knew they were doing it with all the best intentions at heart, but it was winding her up.

"Look, I know what you're doing," Rogue said, turning round as they all stood up to follow her out of the room, "and it's really sweet of you to care so much, but at the moment you're just annoying the hell out of me. I'm _fine_ ok, I'm not going to go and kill myself if I go somewhere on my own."

Kitty, Peter and Bobby looked at the floor sheepishly.

"Thank you," Rogue said, "Now if you could leave me in peace until English, that would be great!"

She tried not to storm out of the room, but she was fairly sure that was what it looked like. Deciding she didn't care too much, she went off to find Jack, who was the only person who hadn't been following her round all morning.

"I guess you finally told them to get lost," Jack said as Rogue came and sat by her in the study area.

"Yeah," Rogue said, "I know they were just trying to be good friends, but it was so irritating."

"I told them not to bother," Jack said.

She was sat toying with the necklace she always wore, and had apparently been deep in thought before Rogue had burst in.

"That's really unusual," Rogue said, nodding towards the necklace, "Where did you get it from?"

"My Mother gave it to me," Jack said, removing it and examining it.

It was a symbol of some sort, but Rogue didn't recognise it. The silver coloured metal wound around a spherical orange gemstone that looked a bit like amber.

"It's pretty," Rogue said.

"Thanks," Jack said.

"Do you still… I mean, is you Mother…"

"Dead," Jack interrupted.

"I'm sorry," Rogue whispered.

"Me too," Jack said sadly.

Rogue watched Jack as she ran her fingers over the necklace, before returning it to its place around her neck. There was a closed expression on her face and her breathing was slow and controlled. She began to wonder why Kitty and the others weren't more concerned about Jack, who was clearly far more troubled than she was.

* * *

All through English Kitty was trying really hard to act normally around Rogue, like nothing had ever happened, though Rogue could tell the girl was upset and anxious.

"Kitty, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," she said, "You're a great friend, and thank you for caring about me."

Kitty sighed with relief before apologising for taking caring about her a step too far. One comment from Rogue about how nice Professor Worthington looked in the shirt he was wearing and the two girls were chatting and giggling like nothing had come between them.

"Jack, can I talk to you for a second?" Warren asked as he dismissed the rest of the class.

Rogue went to wait, but Jack told her to go on to History and tell Storm she would be a bit late. Rogue nodded and left her to her conversation.

"I got something for you," Warren said, handing her a carrier bag.

Jack gave him a slightly confused look, before placing the bag on a table and taking a look inside. She pulled out a CD case, opening it and running her hand over the disk inside. She knew what it was, but she had no way of telling what was on it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, if you keep looking in the bag you should find something to play it on," Warren said.

Jack placed the CD on the table and continued looking in the bag. At the bottom was a portable CD player.

"I thought Rogue would probably want hers back sooner or later," Warren said with a slight smile.

Jack didn't speak, but put the CD in it, placing the headphones on her ears and pressing random buttons until she found the play one. Warren watched her listen to the first few seconds.

"An audio book!" she said with surprise and delight as the opening chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird started playing in her ear.

"I thought it might help," Warren said with a shrug, "Now next time I set you a reading homework you won't have to hassle your friends into reading it for you."

Jack beamed at him.

"Thank you," she said, admiring her brand new CD player, "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," Warren said with a smile, "Now you better go and put that in your room and head to History before you miss any more."

She smiled and nodded. Warren watched her walk off. There was definitely a slight skip in her step and he was glad such a small thing could make such a big difference.

* * *

"Jack!" Hank called across the dining hall. It was dinnertime, and he had just arrived back from work.

"You're popular today," Bobby said.

Jack, who was playing with her new CD player, looked up at him questioningly.

"Professor McCoy wants you," Rogue said with a grin.

"Oh, right," Jack said, also grinning, "I better go then, back in a minute!"

Jack stood up and wandered over to where Hank was stood, telling Storm of the day's events. Kitty watched her go, then turned to the CD player she had left behind on the table.

"Where'd she get that?" she asked, "It's not yours is it, Rogue?"

"No, she gave me mine back earlier," Rogue said, "Maybe she bought herself her own one."

"When? And with what money?" Kitty asked.

"Does it matter?" Bobby asked.

"It matters coz Kitty thinks Professor Worthington gave it to her," Rogue said with a laugh, guessing her friend's mind.

"That's preferential treatment!" Kitty said indignantly, a flare of jealousy in her eyes.

"If you keep talking and thinking about Professor Worthington like that you'll make me jealous," Peter said jokingly.

"Good," Kitty said, smiling devilishly, "You lavish me with attention when you're jealous!"

Meanwhile, Jack caught up with Hank and asked him what he wanted.

"My dear, I have a favour to ask of you," he said.

"This one doesn't involve reading does it?" Jack quipped, making Hank laugh.

"No, no," he said, smiling at her, "I'm sure you've heard of the upcoming Summit? Yes, well, one of the interpreters needed for the Summit has been in a car crash and will not be able to attend. Therefore, the President is in need of someone who speaks Xhosa, or someone who can learn to in less than a week. So far he's struggling to find someone who speaks it."

"So you want me to do it?" Jack asked, "Doesn't working for the government require doing all sorts of identity checks? I'd never get through all that. I don't even have a real name, not one I'm prepared to give anyway."

"Well, I hope that one day you may be prepared to tell us who you really are, but in the mean time 'Miss Jack Starbright, as recommended by Doctor Henry McCoy' is identity enough to get you through any checks they wish to do."

"Xhosa?" Jack repeated.

"It's a language spoken in South Africa," Hank explained, "compromising of both spoken word and clicks of the tongue, will that be a problem?"

Jack shrugged.

"I doubt it," she said, "how long have I got?"

"The opening party is in five days."

"Can I skip Computing?" Jack asked.

"To give you the time necessary to learn it thoroughly?" Hank asked with a twinkle in his eyes, knowing the girl wouldn't need the extra time, "I'm sure I can work that out for you."

"Then I'm sure I'll have no problem learning Xhosa in five days," Jack said with a nod that cemented their agreement.

"Then I shall find you the Linguaphone. Nice doing business with you," he added with another twinkly-eyed grin.

* * *

That night, the X-men got their first call. A hotel resort had caught fire, and with the alarm systems failing, it had spread, trapping several people in their rooms as the building collapsed and burned down around them.

"Get in the jet," Storm ordered, marching everyone into the basement, "We get changed en-route. Remember codenames at all times, and don't do anything stupid or dangerous!"

Rogue, Kitty and Jack all got changed out of their pyjamas and into their costumes. It was late and everyone had been just about ready for bed when they got the call. Outside it was dark and overcast, the kind of night that was closer to black than blue. It didn't do much to help still the nerves of the younger members of the team, who not only had to put on a good show for the world, but had to make sure they didn't let down the older, more experienced X-men.

Kitty watched Jack curiously as she slipped a mobile phone shaped object into a pocket on her utility belt, then attached her pen knife and the boomerang like objects.

"What are they all for?" she asked.

"These?" Jack said, holding up the boomerangs and spinning them round in her hands. As she did so she charged them up with her green energy, "Normally for throwing at people who annoy me."

"That is cool," Kitty said, impressed.

Jack stopped spinning and charging them, returning them to her belt in a well practiced motion. Like with all their suits, she was wearing gloves, but Kitty noticed she hadn't neglected to wear her bracelets.

"You never go anywhere without them, do you?" she said with a grin.

"Never," Jack replied, grinning back as the jet descended into the hotel courtyard below.

* * *

The heat was intense and the fire crews present were making little difference to the inferno. Storm knew there was little the majority of her team could do, but they could at least help the tiring fire fighters.

"Iceman, Colossus – go together and see if you can help any rescue efforts. Rogue, Mystique, Starbright – see what you can do to help the fire fighters. Angel, get as close as you can – look for anyone trapped inside. Wolverine, do whatever it is you think best, I know you won't listen to me anyway," Storm said, "Shadowcat, how are you with fire?"

"No problem," Kitty said, "I'll just phase straight through."

"Then go with the boys, help bring any trapped people to safety," Storm said, "Now go!"

Bobby, Kitty and Peter ran towards the building, Bobby creating a protective shield of ice around them as they entered, battling with the fire to find any survivors of the inferno.

Warren took to the sky and circled round, getting as close as he could to peer into the rooms for any sign of people trapped in their rooms.

Jack, Mystique and Rogue all ran over to where fire fighters were trying to tame the flames, helping them direct the enormous jets of water.

Wolverine ran off, presumably to pick his own way through the fire to do whatever he could to help. Storm walked up to the building, her arms out and her eyes glowing as she called on the heavens to open and give them the blessing of rain.

The crowds watching anxiously felt the first few drops. They looked to the sky and the downpour began.

* * *

"Anyone in there, Shadowcat?" Bobby called above the roaring of the flames.

"Nope," Kitty replied. She ran through the wall to the next room, which was also empty, then on to the next. In it was a small boy and his unconscious Mother, "Iceman, Colossus! I've found someone!"

Peter hardened his body into the tough organic metal and crashed through the door. Bobby widened his arc of protective icy blasts over the two people in the room.

"I can take the boy, but you'll have to take the mother!" Kitty called.

"I've got her," Peter said, picking her up in his strong arms.

"We need to get out of here!" Bobby yelled, "I can't keep this up much longer!"

"On it!" Peter called, charging through the wall.

The three of them and the family they had rescued burst through the outside wall and were welcomed into the arms of the fire and ambulance services.

The unconscious woman was removed from Peter's arms and immediately put in an oxygen mask. Kitty handed the boy over to a kindly looking nurse who checked over him, giving him water and cooling him down with an icepack.

"How you doing Iceman?" Kitty asked.

"Ready to face the fire again," Bobby replied, "Where's Pyro when you need him, hey?"

"Probably watching us on TV," Peter said, nodding towards the news crews that had gathered.

"Well, let's give him a good show!" Bobby said determinedly and marched back towards the burning building.

* * *

The torrential rain did little to abate the intense flames, but it helped a bit. In dribs and drabs other survivors were pulled from the burning building. Warren landed by Storm as the others headed back over, awaiting orders.

"I can't see anything," he said, "The smoke is too thick. Chances are anyone left in there is dead by suffocation by now anyway."

"We did what we could," Storm said, closing her eyes and opening them again. They were no longer glowing white.

"The firemen think that the fire will burn itself out," Rogue said as she and Mystique walked over, "They say they are going to concentrate on stopping it spreading to the other buildings. They've done all they can for this one."

"We checked all the ground floor," Kitty said, "We rescued about half a dozen people."

"It's getting too dangerous to go onto the second floor, even for Shadowcat," Bobby said, "The whole place is coming down."

Jack hadn't spoken – she was just watching the building with that strange half spaced-out, half intense concentration expression on her face. Rogue recognised it as the one she wore when she was listening intently for something.

Rogue closed her eyes and tried to listen too, wondering what had caught Jack's attention. She could hear the roar of the flames so loud, like they were surrounding her completely. The heat on her face and the cool air on her back was the only way she had of knowing that she wasn't surrounded. But the fire wasn't the only sound she could hear. Very quietly in the background, Rogue could just about make out a slight whimper.

"Oh God," she said, tears running down her cheeks.

Someone bumped past her and she turned to see Jack walking over towards Storm. She had a slightly crazy look in her eyes and Rogue didn't like it at all.

* * *

Jack walked briskly to where Storm was standing, watching the building burn.

"Just for the record," she said, "I don't do anything unless I'm ninety-eight percent certain that I can do it."

"What?" Storm said, but Jack had already run off, back towards the building.

"Starbright! What are you doing?" Jack heard Storm call after her, but she was too busy concentrating to answer.

She sprinted past the fire crews, past the retreating rescue team and straight towards the building. When she got about ten metres away she powered up her hands, shooting her energy beams towards the floor. She used the energy to propel herself upwards, flipping over gracefully in mid air and sailing feet first towards a second floor window. As she smashed through it, she activated her protective shield only seconds before she was engulfed in flames.

* * *

Please review:)


	13. Warren's Idea

New chapter for you! (couldn't leave you on that cliffhanger for too long now... lol) As always thanks to all the lovely people who reviewed, hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Outside Storm watched in horror.

"What is she doing?" she asked.

"She is officially completely stupid," Kitty breathed.

"Actually, I thought it was quite cool," Mystique said with a wry smile.

"She's going to get herself killed!" Storm said, half angry, half worried, "Angel, circle again, see if you can see her!"

Warren took off, but knew he wouldn't be able to get close enough to see anything.

"Why did she do that?" Storm asked, staring at the window Jack had crashed through, looking for any sign of her.

"There's a kid inside!" Rogue said, "There's still a child trapped in the building."

"How can you tell?" Bobby asked.

"I could hear it, crying," Rogue said, clenching her fists as she hoped with all her might that Jack and the child would make it out safe and alive.

They stood waiting. The fire made quick work of drying them out now the rain had stopped. The heat was so intense, Storm feared that Jack would be incinerated in seconds.

* * *

Stood in her protective bubble, Jack stopped and listened. The fire beat against her shield, causing it to shimmer slightly green. Normally it was completely invisible – only when it took a beating did its colour show.

Blocking out the sounds of the fire, she listened for that whimper. It was coming from somewhere near here, she just had to locate it before the whole building collapsed in on itself.

Through the roaring flames and cracking wood, she heard it. A muffled cry of a child. Jack ran carefully through the building towards it, listening to her footsteps, avoiding particularly cracking and buckling sections of the floor.

After a moments running she arrived at a huge wardrobe. She threw open the door, dropped her shield, grabbed the child and raised the shield again. It took only a few milliseconds, but Jack felt her face burning in the intense heat of the fire. The poor child had taken shelter amongst a load of coats and was luckily not too burned, but they weren't out of there yet.

Jack ran out of the room and to the nearest window. It was a fair drop, one she wouldn't make without breaking her legs and probably killing the child in her arms. Her propulsion energy was useless – she couldn't use it to lower herself and so break the fall, it would only push her higher.

She ran to the stairs but they were burned down, with no way of traversing them.

"Dammit!" she cursed, running back to the window. Jump it was.

She picked the window furthest from all the flames and dropped her shield, smashing the window with a glowing fist. It didn't look out at where the X-men were gathered, but onto the other side of the hotel, into the gardens. In the centre of the gardens was a large swimming pool.

"Take a deep breath!" she told the child, who nodded and took a rasping, choking breath and held it.

Jack gritted her teeth. It was a long way to the pool, but she could possibly make it. Maybe.

With the fire approaching rapidly it was now or never. She backed up and took a run up, leaping from the window as a torrent of flame followed behind her, giving her a little unanticipated extra propulsion.

Jack sailed through the air, the child in her arms clinging to her in terror. Jack held out one hand and blasted the ground with her energy, pushing them that bit further along, sending them sailing straight into the water.

The blissfully cool liquid enveloped them, slowing their fall, and for a second all was peaceful. Everything seemed to slow down as noises became an indistinct blur and all heat and movement vanished. As Jack's feet touched the bottom she pushed up and they broke the surface, gasping for breath, hearts beating so fast it was painful. The moment of peace at the bottom of the pool was overtaken by the chaos outside. It was all flashing lights, flickering flames, incoherent yells and sirens. Jack just trod water in the centre of the pool, waiting for her heart rate to calm as she tried to determine what to do next.

Suddenly she was plucked from the pool by a pair of strong hands and felt herself being lifted away from the floor. As the hotel shrunk beneath her she looked up to see Warren above her, his angelic wings beating hard as he lifted her away from danger.

* * *

Warren glided downwards, landing elegantly on the floor with Jack.

"You are completely insane!" he said to her, angrily, "What on Earth possessed you to pull a stunt like that?"

Jack turned round to face him, holding up the child she had in her arms. It was a little girl, soggy, soot covered and slightly singed with the widest pair of brown eyes Warren had ever seen. She stared up at him in awe, her eyes scanning over his wings and sucked her thumb pensively. Warren softened and brushed a stray lock of hair from the girl's face.

"We should get her back to the medics," he said, nodding in the direction of the ambulances.

They were practically swamped by news reporters, but Jack and Warren just waded through them, handing the girl over to the medical staff.

"That was so brave, Miss," the nurse they reached first said, "You should get a medal for that kind of bravery."

"A medal would be nice, but I'd settle for a nice cold drink of water," Jack said with a croaky laugh.

The nurse smiled and handed her one. Jack drained it.

"You're right," she said turning to Warren, "That was completely insane."

"It _was_ quite cool though," Warren said, echoing Mystique, "come on, let's get back to the others."

She grinned, pushing her dripping wet hair out of her face and followed behind him, wading back through the crowds of reporters the way they came.

* * *

Rogue hugged Jack fiercely when she arrived back with the other X-men.

"You are the craziest person I've ever met!" she said, "Did you get the kid, is she safe?"

Rogue wasn't sure when she had decided the child was a she, her brain had somehow decided it from the tone of the child's cries. Rogue was starting to think this wasn't normal, but she was too jubilant at Jack's safe return to question it right now.

"She's safe," Jack said, "Bit singed, but otherwise alive and kicking."

There was a rebuke on the tip of Storm's tongue but as soon as those words came out of Jack's mouth it died on her lips. Her foolish act of bravery had saved someone's life.

"Were you really ninety-eight percent certain you could do that?" she asked instead.

"Yeah, I may have to lower that percentage a little bit," Jack said with a sheepish grin.

* * *

Fortunately for the team, it was a Friday night, so they could all afford a nice lie in the next morning. Most people enjoyed a long shower or bath as soon as they got up, clearing the last remnants of the soot and smoke from their hair and skin.

Kitty and Rogue spent all morning pampering each other, dragging Jack into the process. They all had facials, manicures and many other beauty treatments as a treat for the success of the night before. Jack commented that it was hardly a treat being covered in smelly things and sitting around for hours, to which Rogue and Kitty responded by attacking her with all manner of moisturisers and makeup.

Bobby and Peter spent some time on the football table, laughing at the news clips they saw of themselves. Many of the younger students couldn't get enough of the stories they had to tell of the night, so they were kept very occupied bragging about their heroics all day.

Warren, however, was not about to waste his weekend sitting around. He had things to do. He wanted to go and visit his Father in San Fransisco, which would mean taking a couple of days out. This weekend was the perfect opportunity.

Storm was quite happy for him to go away and even went as far as to offer him a lift in the jet. Warren was grateful for this – driving was a bit uncomfortable when you had wings.

He called up his Dad to warn him that he would be landing on the roof of Worthington Labs shortly.

* * *

Warren Worthington Senior stood on the roof, hands in his pockets, as the wind created by the jet blew, tugging at his hair and jacket.

"When you said you would be landing on the roof I assumed you were flying," he said to his approaching son, "I didn't realise you meant you were travelling by your own private jet."

"It's one of the perks of the job," Warren said, waving at Storm, who gave him a thumbs up and took off, heading back to the mansion.

"If that's the perk for teaching, maybe I should consider quitting business."

Warren laughed and walked with his Father off the roof and into the top floor penthouse.

* * *

Once she had finally wormed her way out of watching some romantic film with Kitty and Rogue, Jack headed to the quiet area to study. She took her CD player with her, listening to the Xhosa linguaphone. As she sat down on a beanbag in the corner of the room, she opened the book that came with the CDs. Scanning her eyes over the text she could make nothing of it. It was as indecipherable to her as a barcode was to anyone else. Good thing she didn't need it really.

She was nearly finished listening to the first disk, when Hank approached her.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Good," Jack said in Xhosa, "That means 'good'."

Hank laughed and sat down beside her.

"I was wondering if tomorrow you would like to come with me to where the Summit is being held. It will give you a chance to familiarise yourself with the place, meet the people you will be working with."

"Am I going to get paid for doing this?" Jack asked, thinking of the one audio book she owned, and the many more there were available to buy if she had the money.

"Of course," Hank said, "You already have something in mind to spend it on?"

"Well, Warren bought me an audio book of To Kill A Mockingbird, to help me with his lessons, I'd like to get some others like it," Jack said, "I like stories."

"It must be frustrating, enjoying stories so much, and not being able to read."

"Not all stories are in books," Jack said with a shrug, "Talk to anyone here and you'd get a good story out of them."

"Yes, plenty of drama and tragedy," Hank said, "If you are anything like Kitty and Rogue you would prefer something with a bit more gushy romance."

Jack wrinkled her nose in distaste, making Hank laugh once again.

* * *

"As much as I'd like this to be a visit because you haven't seen me in a while, I must assume that by turning up on my roof in a jet you mean business."

"Well, I was going to drive and still mean business," Warren replied, looking over at his Father, "I came to see you because I think you might be able to help me with something."

"And what's that?"

"Actually, it's not me at all you'd be helping, rather a student at the school," Warren began, "There's a girl who joined us a few weeks ago, who through some sort of learning disability – possibly caused by her mutation, or something more regular like Dyslexia, is completely unable to read and write."

"Well, there are no drugs to cure Dyslexia…" Mr. Worthington said.

"I'm not looking for a drug," Warren said, "The thing with this girl is, she can learn languages at an extraordinary rate. In the time she's been at the mansion she has learned Latin completely from scratch, and has mastered a fair bit of Russian.

"What I was thinking was, if there was some kind of computer that read letters, words, and translated them into either speech, or some sort of sound, it could really help her. There must be something out there. What I'm asking for is your help finding it – you've got the contacts, you must know someone who knows someone."

"A machine that reads text and translates it into sounds?" Mr. Worthington repeated, searching his brain for any memory of such a thing, "I'll see what I can pull up later, but for now – would you like something to drink?"

* * *

Storm spent her Saturday talking to reporters. She headed out before lunchtime, dressed in full X-men costume, in a chauffeur driven car sent for her by the President. She came to the building that would be housing the Summit, stood on a podium and prepared to answer their questions.

Along for the ride was Mystique, in her X-men guise (a blonde woman as apposed to her dark-haired human appearance).

"Ok, first question," called a man who was trying to keep the conference organised.

About a thousand people clamoured to get a question in. Mystique pointed coolly to a woman near the front and the man handed her a microphone.

"That was an amazing rescue effort last night," she said, "Will the X-men be expecting any payments in return for their services?"

"Our payment is that those people made it out of that fire," Storm said.

"Do you get scared, when faced with a disaster that risks not only the lives of civilians, but the lives of you and your team mates as well?" another person asked.

"Everything we do has its risks," Storm said, "And yes our lives were at risk last night. Even though we wished we could save everyone, there has to be a point where I tell my team to stop. We have to take care of ourselves, as well as others."

"It seemed like one of your team mates wasn't listening to your orders to stop last night," a man remarked.

Storm couldn't think of a reply quick enough so Mystique answered for her.

"If you are referring to the incredibly brave actions of our team mate Starbright, then you should know she is a relatively recent addition to the team, and we are yet to discover the full extent of what she is capable of.

"Our team works as a team, but within that team is the scope for individuals to work as individuals. In the case of Starbright last night her powers not only allowed her to locate a child trapped inside the burning building, but to rescue her successfully from the inferno. As a team we could not have accomplished this."

"Each of our team mates is an individual," Storm found her voice, "As their leader I consider it my responsibility to keep them safe, but they are adults and capable of making their own decisions, and as long as they do not endanger the lives of others, I see no harm in them doing so."

The reporters were nodding to one another, taking notes, but as soon as Storm finished speaking it was another clamour to get a question in.

"So what are your team's powers?"

"How old is the youngest member of the X-men?"

"Who do you think is the most powerful?"

"Iceman is pretty good looking, do you think he would do a photoshoot for our magazine?"

Storm and Mystique exchanged looks. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"I saw you on the telly," Mr. Worthington said to Warren as they sat at the bar, drinking together, "I've got it recorded, not that I needed to – they're still replaying the clips now."

He hit the on button on the TV remote and a television above them turned on, playing clips of the heroic rescue by the X-men. The clips of him were mostly when he was walking with Jack over to the medical area.

"That's her, there," Warren said, pointing out Jack on the telly, "Jack, she calls herself. Won't tell anyone her real name."

"When you said student I assumed you meant a young girl," his Dad said, looking up at the screen.

"She's nineteen, which makes her a student still, but one of the oldest," Warren said.

"Nineteen and she can't read…"

"It's not her fault," Warren said, more defensively than he intended.

Warren Worthington Senior raised his eyebrows at his son with a knowing smile.

"What's that look for?" Warren asked. His Father just laughed.

"Are you heading home this evening then?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, Storm said to give her a call when I wanted picking up, so whenever really," Warren said, trying to imitate Jack's cool, unconcerned manner.

"Well, there is always a bed here, if you wanted to stop a bit longer," his Father said, the stammer returning to his normally confident voice, "Only if you want to of course, don't feel…"

"I'd love to," Warren cut him off.

* * *

Please review:)


	14. The Interpreter

Hmmm, this story is getting longer. First it was only going to be 19 chapters now it has grown into 23... lol. Oh well, hope long isn't a problem!

Thanks for the reviews as always. You guys make my day :)

* * *

Jack walked with Hank through the corridors of the building. It was a chaotic bustle of activity and there seemed to be an endless stream of people running around.

"You'd think they'd be better organised," Hank said with a low chuckle as someone bumped past him.

Jack merely took all the chaos in her stride and followed him until they came to a door.

"Ah yes, here we are, office 42b," Hank said, "Now, you just slide that card you were given earlier through this device and it should grant you access."

Jack took out a keycard she had been given when they arrived and slid it through. The red light on the device turned green and the door clicked open.

"I'll leave you to get settled then," Hank said, holding the door open for her, "I'll come and pick you up later and walk back to the mansion with you."

"Sure," Jack said, stepping backwards through the door.

Hank smiled at her briefly as the door shut. Jack waited until it had shut completely before she turned round. Sat before her in the office were three people, two women one man, with identical intrigued expressions on their faces.

"Hi," Jack said.

"You must be Jack. I thought you were going to be a guy…" the man said.

"Don't look so disappointed," one of the women said with a smirk, "Nice to meet you Jack, I'm Catherine Clarkson, but call me Cathy."

She shook Jack's hand in a brisk, business-like manner.

"I'm Laure Roffey," the other woman said with a thick French accent, "Welcome to office 42b!"

"We cleared away Sally's stuff for you, so you can take over her booth on the end there," Cathy said, pointing behind her.

"Is that the girl who was in the car crash?" Jack asked, "Is she going to be ok?"

"Yeah, should be out of hospital in a few weeks," Cathy said.

"Unfortunately," the man muttered.

"Oh shut up David," Laure said, "That's horrible."

"Yeah, just coz she turned down your advances," Cathy said with that same, slightly malicious smirk.

"You know she's not my type, in more ways than one!" David retorted. He was very camp.

"Ok, yeah, so she was a queen bitch, but that's no reason to wish her harm," Laure said.

Cathy and David both snorted with contempt.

"What was up with her?" Jack asked.

"Well, she wouldn't have been seen talking to you, darling, that's for sure," David said, "Very judgemental and particular about her company."

"What's wrong with me?" Jack asked, looking down at herself, "Ok I know my hair's a mess but I did make the effort with the clothes today!" she added with a grin.

She had borrowed a suit from Jean Grey's wardrobe. It was a bit big, and she felt bad wearing the clothes of a dead woman, but as Storm had pointed out, Jean had no use for them where she was.

"That suit looks like it's a size too big for you," David commented.

"Oh, trust you to notice that, Mr. Fashion," Cathy said, rolling her eyes.

"It is," Jack said with a shrug, "It's not mine."

"Well, nice clothes or no, she still wouldn't have been seen talking to you," David said, "Mutant? Nope, not talking to you – I might catch something!"

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know I was a Mutant?"

"You walked here with Doctor McCoy, he said he'd walk you home," David said with a shrug.

"S'pose that's a bit of a giveaway," Jack said with a grin.

Cathy, Laure and David turned out to be three of the nicest people Jack had met outside of the mansion. They bickered a lot, but it was all good humoured, and though they poked fun at each other (particularly at David) no offence was meant by it. They were also incredibly accepting, and had no problem with mutants. Cathy said they never had, no matter what the political climate had been in the past.

Cathy was loud, outspoken and had a devilish side to her that you could tell was about to make an appearance when she smirked, but she had a heart of gold and clearly loved her friends and co-workers to bits.

David was flamboyant, over the top and extremely fashion critical, but he was also extremely sweet and considerate, and always called Jack either 'darling' or 'chicken', which she found oddly endearing.

Laure seemed to be the voice of reason in the group, and often spoke with slight weary exasperation in her tone, but when she got talking about something she felt strongly about there was a fire in her eyes that was quite scary.

After a few hours in their company, Jack felt almost more comfortable with them than she did with Rogue and Kitty back at the mansion.

"And you lot get paid for sitting round here all day?" Jack asked as they drank coffee and ate lunch.

"Well, normally we are only in if we are needed," Cathy said, "But with this lot so bloody unorganised they might need us any second, so we have to be here all the time."

"It's free money really," Laure said.

"What I'm looking forwards to most is that opening welcome party thing," David said.

"We have to go to that in case our clients want to have a conversation over their champagne, but they're basically paying us to go to a party," Laure explained at Jack's blank expression.

"All the free champagne and nibbles you can lay your hands on!" David said.

"And plenty of waiters for you to eye up," Cathy said, shoving David teasingly.

* * *

During the course of the day they talked about everything, from the best film in the cinema at the moment to what it was like to be an X-man. Cathy wasn't one to drop subtle hints when she thought she knew something, she just asked outright if Jack was Starbright and Jack, not one to talk about personal details, told her to stop her asking about her family and where she grew up.

Jack was mildly surprised that they weren't really too curious as to who the person behind the X-man was. Except for David, who made some throwaway comment about her getting Iceman's phone number for him, none of them even mentioned their true identities, satisfied it seemed to have just the one.

"It's more fun if they stay secret," Cathy said with a shrug, "I mean, 'Iceman' – it's much more exciting than Tom, Dick or Harry."

"Or Robert," Jack said with a smile.

"Robert," David said, "I like that name."

"He's got a girlfriend," Jack told him.

"Dammit," David said, faking intense disappointment.

* * *

When Hank came to walk Jack home he wasn't surprised to find her chatting away, completely comfortable in her new surrounding. It was the paradox of Jack Starbright – totally confident, chatty and friendly, and yet she wouldn't tell them her real name or where she came from.

"I take it you had a good day?" he asked as they walked together back to the Mansion, making the most of the summer sun.

"Well, I didn't do much work, but the people are nice," Jack said. She looked up at the jungle of skyscrapers all around her, "Thanks for walking me back, by the way Professor, I'd have probably got lost if I went by myself."

"Oh, come now, Jack, there's no need to call me Professor," Hank said.

"But you are my Professor," Jack said.

"So is Warren," Hank said with one of his twinkling smiles. He was teasing her but she seemed not to notice.

"Yeah well, you're a lot older than him," she said, then paused, "Sorry, that was rude, wasn't it?"

"Au contraire, my dear," Hank said with a grin, "I actually find it one of the most refreshing things about you, that you are not afraid to say exactly what you think."

"And now you are going to casually comment that it seems strange that I'm not afraid to say what I think, and yet I'm afraid to talk about my family," Jack said.

Hank turned to her in surprise. He had indeed been intending to say that.

"Your pulse picked up," Jack said with a shrug, "It always does when you're about to broach a delicate subject."

"You sound like Logan," Hank said with an amused smile, "It seems you are far to clever for me then, Miss Starbright. I shall have to rely on another to extract the information from you over time. I must admit, I am infinitely curious as to what exactly you are hiding from us. Perhaps you might open up to Rogue after a while, as you two seem to have a lot in common, or maybe someone else…"

He finished airily, teasing her again. She glanced sideways at him. For all her astute perceptiveness, she didn't seem to be able to fathom what he was implying with his teasing comments.

* * *

Warren came back to the mansion late Sunday evening. His weekend spent with his Father had done much to repair their shaky relationship, and things were in motion to help Jack. If there was anything out there, his Father had promised he would find it.

Three days later, Warren got a package in the post. Inside was what looked like an Ipod, accompanied by a letter from his Father. Warren found a quiet spot and sat down to read it.

_Dear Warren,_

_I was fortunate enough to stumble across a research and development facility in the south that manufactures products aimed to help the blind. They had all the software and the ideas, but lacked the funds to put their products into production._

_I gave them some grant money and they were able to produce this. It is only a prototype, and not without flaws, but as soon as they have the design perfected they are going to send an upgrade on to me._

_It translates written word into a series of beeps, a different tone for every letter. The staff at the facility are working on making it actually speak, but it is proving to be infinitely more complicated, so I said we were happy to settle for a short term fix._

_I took the liberty of suggesting the MP3 player styled design to them. I thought perhaps your friend might prefer it if the design was discreet, and it would save her the embarrassment of having to explain what it was every single time she used it._

_Hope you are keeping well,_

_Dad_

Warren was amazed. Not only had his Father worked extremely quickly, but he had dedicated a lot of time, thought and money to this project. Warren had been anticipating getting a name and having to chase it up himself from then on in. His Father couldn't buy his way into Warren's favour, but this gesture certainly helped to further smooth over the cracks. He was showing a real turnaround.

Warren briefly scan read the instructions to the device and went to find Jack. She normally had Computing right now, which meant she was probably in the study area, pretending to learn some language she had already mastered days ago. She and Hank had come to some sort of agreement over it, an exchange of favours.

She was exactly where Warren had anticipated and he went and sat opposite her, waving a hand in front of her eyes to attract her attention. Jack looked up at him, removing the headphones from her ears and stopping the CD she had been listening to.

Warren opened the portable CD player and looked inside it. It was an audio CD of Harry Potter.

"Jimmy lent it to me," she said.

"You're not going to even bother pretending your skipping Computers for a reason other than you don't like it?" Warren asked with an amused smile.

"What's the point in pretending when everyone knows you are?"

"I suppose," Warren said.

"And I suppose you came to bother me for a reason?"

"Yes, actually," Warren said, "My Father has been doing some research for you and found this."

He handed her the scanning device.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

Warren took a book from a nearby shelf and opened it on a random page.

"Push the button in the middle, and it scans the text, before translating the letters into a series of sounds," Warren explained.

Jack put the earpiece in her ear and pushed the button. A melody of bleeps broken up by brief silences played down her ear.

"Each sound represents a letter, so it's not quite speaking a language, but spelling out the words to you, but I'm sure with your capacity to learn languages you could understand it fairly quickly."

As he helped her learn, reading out the text it was translating, Logan and Mystique watched from the doorway.

"Bird boy ought to watch himself," Logan said, "He's coming close to crossing the line with her."

"What's it to you if he does?" Mystique asked, "touch a spot that's a bit too close for comfort?" she added as she morphed into Rogue.

Logan snarled and grabbed her by her throat, pinning her against a wall. Mystique merely smirked and switched back to her human self.

"I'm not scared of you Logan," she said, before pulling off a delicate fighting move, which resulted in Logan being across the corridor from her.

She smiled at him suggestively and winked, before walking off.

"Oh and Logan," she said, turning round, "I wouldn't worry about 'bird boy', he won't do anything…."

Logan waited until she was completely out of sight before putting his hand to his chest where she had kicked him, grimacing slightly. He snarled in Mystique's direction one last time, then stalked off in the opposite direction.

* * *

"I don't know how I'm ever going to thank your Dad enough for this," Jack said as she walked with Warren towards his English class.

"Well, he's coming over to New York for the opening party for the Summit," Warren said, "I'll tell him then."

"Are you going to that then?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Warren replied, not looking or sounding too pleased about it, "Only really to keep my Father company. I'm a plus one, not an official invite."

"Don't sound so miserable about it – it's all the free champagne and nibbles you can eat!" Jack said, echoing David with a grin.

"Well, free champagne or not, it's still going to be pretty dull, particularly given that the only people going that I would actually choose to talk to other than my Father, I'm not allowed to talk to."

"Why's that?"

"Can't have people putting two and two together," Warren said, "Let's face it – how am I going to know an interpreter who lives in New York when I'm supposed to live in San Fransisco?"

Warren realised as soon as the words came out of his mouth that he had just admitted that he would want to talk to her in a situation entirely outside of school life. He had become far too involved in her business for their relationship to be considered a strictly student-teacher one. Despite how little he actually knew about Jack Starbright, she was his friend.

"I suppose," Jack said, "You'll have to make do making polite conversation with the Representatives then."

"If I can understand any of them," Warren said, holding the door to his classroom open for her.

"That's what interpreters are for," Jack said with a grin and sat down in her seat.

* * *

Please review:)


	15. The Welcome Party

Arrgh... this was supposed to be out on Sunday but the uploader wasn't working again then I was on a trip to Bath for the last three days. So, sorry for the delay, thanks for the reviews, and without further ado - the long overdue chapter!

* * *

The welcoming party came round a lot quicker than everyone anticipated. Before Jack even knew it, she was dressed up in another suit, her hair tamed slightly, held back in a ponytail, sat in a car with Hank as they were chauffeured to the Summit. 

The building was no longer the chaotic mess it had been a few days ago, but a regal display of lights and tasteful decorations, with a sweeping banquet of finger food and enough champagne to fill an Olympic swimming pool.

Live music played from a small stage and all around people in their best suits were mingling, admiring the food and listening to the music with appreciative ears. Hank gave a slight grimace.

"I don't much enjoy these parties," he said to Jack, "You would think there would be plenty of interesting political conversation, but I find the champagne does the talking after a while and conversation gets a little empty, or aggressive."

"Downside of being the Secretary of Mutant Affairs," Jack said with a shrug.

"Downside of being a Mutant altogether, my dear, especially one so obvious," Hank said with a sigh, "Even people with the power and the money of a country behind them are still terrified of people like you and I. We are a threat to them."

"Any man with a gun is a threat to them," Jack said.

"A man does not even require a gun to be a threat," Hank said, "But we have become the scapegoat for every problem that humanity has faced. Gun violence, senseless murders, gang warfare – everything takes second place to the greatest distraction nature ever provided. The evolution of Mutantkind."

On arriving, Hank stepped out of the car at the main entrance. Jack stayed in the car and got out in the car park before walking round. It was better, Hank said, that they arrived separately. Judging by how quickly her friends in office 42b had decided she was a mutant and then an X-man, just from her association with him, Jack thought he was right.

Warren was also arriving separately with his Father. As she entered the building, Jack had a look around for him, but couldn't see any sign. Her friends were waving at her frantically, and she went over to them before they realised it wasn't them she had been looking for.

* * *

The President stood at the microphone on the stage used by the musicians and cleared his throat. 

"Welcome, my dear friends, to the opening party for the World Summit, I trust you all find the drinks to your liking?"

There was a ripple of polite laughter through the crowd and the President continued.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for coming to what could potentially be the most important Summit in history. Never before have there been so many important, controversial and potentially society changing issues to discuss in one Summit, so please use this evening to forget about politics and just have a good time!"

Another ripple of laughter followed and a few 'Here, here!'s.

"So, I leave you to your champagne and buffet…"

"What about the X-men?" someone interrupted, "Will they be attending the party?"

"The X-men? Why there are five of them in the room right now!" the President said with a jovial smile, not at all perturbed by the interruption.

Cathy, Laure and David looked over to Jack for confirmation. She shook her head and held up three fingers. Despite their insistence that they weren't interested in the real person behind the X-man, they couldn't resist having a quick look round for the mystery third X-man who wasn't Jack or Dr. McCoy.

The President laughed, as everyone looked around.

"I'm only joking. Besides their representative, Dr. McCoy, the X-men will not be attending the party, though they will be present at the Summit, I'm sure they will be happy to answer your questions then. Now, as I was saying – I leave you to your champagne and buffet…"

* * *

Once the initial speech was over, Jack stood with her friends, drinking champagne and generally milling around, waiting to be called on. Cathy and David were amusing themselves by admiring the crowd. 

"That guy over there is quite cute," Cathy said.

"Nice face but what _is_ he wearing?" was David's reply.

Jack rolled her eyes at Laure, who grinned back, and turned to have a look at the other side of the room, trying to catch Hank's eye as he mingled with all the representatives.

"Now _that_ guy has taste," David said from behind her.

Jack smiled, it was very rarely that David uttered those words.

"For once, David, I have to agree," Cathy said, "He is pretty hot."

"You two in agreement over a guy?" Laure said, "What is the world coming to!"

She turned round to take a look herself.

"Oh yeah, I saw him come in," Laure said, "Cute in a shy sort of way. He's Warren Worthington III, I believe."

Jack snorted with laughter before choking on her champagne in barely suppressed amusement.

"What's so funny Jack?" Cathy demanded as Laure patted her on the back to try and ease her choking.

"I've never heard you lot all agree about a guy before," Jack said.

"That's not funny," David said, "It just doesn't happen very often."

"Anyway, check this guy out, Jack," Cathy said, putting her hands on her shoulders and steering her round to face Warren.

"Well, it _is_ a nice suit," she said, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

For someone who was so shy and self-conscious, Warren did seem to handle himself well in such high-class society. He knew when to laugh, when to speak, when to remain silent – one positive result of his upbringing. However, when he looked over to see Cathy holding Jack, who was trying desperately not to laugh, in his direction, all the upbringing in the world couldn't have told him what to make of it.

Jack noticed him looking with a slightly bemused expression and nudged Cathy.

"He's looking, why don't you wave?"

"What?" Cathy said, "No!"

"I will!" David said, waving merrily over at Warren.

Laure, mortified for her friends, grabbed him and dragged him away. Cathy followed, shaking with laughter, leaving Jack standing on her own. She shot Warren a mischievous wink before walking off after them.

* * *

"What is over there that could _possibly_ be more interesting than the conversation we were just having?" Mr. Worthington asked his son. His voice was laced with sarcasm – it had been a horribly dull conversation. 

"Just Jack being more crazy than usual," Warren replied, realising too late how it must have sounded.

"She's here?" Mr. Worthington had that knowing smile on his face again. Warren rolled his eyes in an uncharacteristic display of impatience.

"She works as an interpreter for the government," Warren said, "And yes, she's more interesting than that conversation, but that's not exactly _hard_…"

"Well, why don't you invite her over – I should like to meet her, particularly if she is more interesting than this lot," Mr. Worthington added in an undertone.

"I can't," Warren said, "How would I know an interpreter from New York? People would ask questions."

"I suppose," his Father said, "Pity…"

"She wanted me to tell you 'thank you' by the way," Warren said.

"That little gadget was of use to her then?"

"Her exact words were 'I don't know how I'm ever going to thank your Dad enough for this', I think she liked it," Warren said with a smile.

"You know, I'm in the area until the Summit – why don't you invite her out to dinner one evening?" Mr. Worthington suggested.

"And why would you want me to do that?" Warren asked.

"I'd like to meet her," his Father replied, "and besides, what am I going to do with myself all on my own in New York? It will be nice to have something to keep me occupied for an evening. If she wants to thank me, she can do so by keeping me company – I'd really appreciate it."

"Dinner?" Warren asked.

"Yes, dinner. My hotel has a nice restaurant," Mr. Worthington said, "I'll book a table for three, tomorrow at seven."

It wasn't even a question, and Warren knew it. It was the determined businessman in his Father emerging. When he had his mind set on something he got it.

"I'm not really the person you should be asking, I'm not in charge of the school," Warren said, not really sure why he was trying to avoid the meal. Dinner out with Jack would be entertaining in the very least. She was good company.

"She's nineteen, I'm sure the girl can come out for a meal," his Father said, "But if I must ask someone of higher authority, then perhaps it's time I engaged Doctor McCoy in a polite conversation, asking how he's been since I saw him last."

And with that Warren Worthington Senior wandered off to find the blue-furred Doctor, leaving Warren slightly bemused and on his own. He decided to wander over to the buffet table before some other guest could try to talk to him about the Mutant 'problem'.

* * *

Jack left her friends to go and grab some food. Partying was hungry work, especially when trying very hard not to laugh. She was just serving herself some bitesize pizzas (the theme for the buffet was dishes from around the world bitesize) when someone spoke behind her. 

"Should I be worried?"

Jack grinned at the sound of Warren's voice in her ear.

"Probably," she said, turning to him, "My friends were just discussing how gorgeous you are…"

"Right…" Warren said, a little disbelieving, "By the way, my Father wanted to invite you out to dinner. I'm not sure why… He said that if you wanted to thank him you could do so by coming out for a meal."

"Are you invited?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Warren said, "Do you mind?"

"That you're invited or going out to dinner?" Jack asked with a grin, "Answer's no to both anyway."

Warren smiled, laughing a little.

"What happened to the no talking rule anyway?" Jack asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm not talking to you," Warren said, "I'm politely asking you to pass me that champagne bottle."

"Ah, I see," Jack said with a grin, "Well, here you are sir, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening."

She presented him with the champagne and walked back over to where her friends were stood gawping at her.

"What did he say to you?" Cathy asked.

"He asked why you lot were staring at him earlier, so I told him that David thought he was hot and wanted his phone number. He said that he thought David was pretty cute but had terrible dress sense," Jack said.

Cathy burst out laughing, but David, who hadn't quite clicked that she was winding him up looked down at his clothes with an indignant expression.

"Only joking you idiot!" Jack said, pushing him affectionately, "He said 'Would you pass me the Champagne please?' that's all."

"Took a long time to say it," David said suspiciously.

* * *

Hank looked from Mr. Worthington over to where Warren and back again. The younger Worthington had clearly been unable to keep from talking to Jack, despite what he had said earlier about not talking to her in case people questioned it, which made Hank grin with amusement. 

"Oh I think it's an excellent idea," he said, "I assure you, there will be no trouble in Jack leaving the mansion for an evening meal. You may have a little trouble getting her to dress up for it, but I will set Kitty and Rogue on that."

"I'm glad I have your support," Mr. Worthington said, "Thank you for your time."

"Not at all, good sir," Hank said, "I haven't had so much fun interfering in other people's business in a long time," he added in a low voice with a wide grin.

"In that case, I'm glad we understand one another, Doctor McCoy," Mr. Worthington said, a hint of a sly smile crossing his lips.

* * *

The President smiled as he watched Hank's young friend translating for the Xhosa speaking representative. It was hard to believe that she had not even heard of the language a week ago. 

"You know some remarkable people, Henry," he said, turning to the Secretary.

"It is my favourite thing about my job," Hank said with a smile, "Both of them," he added.

"I hold so much admiration for people such as yourself and your young friend," the President said, "Who can stand here amongst people who would see you eradicated from existence, smiling graciously all the while."

"I am merely well practised, as is Warren, Miss Starbright, however, is simply not one to let other people get her down. Of all the remarkable people I know, I am beginning to consider her one of the most so."

"Which presents me with a problem, as her employer. For what is the rate of pay for a person of such remarkability?"

"Mr. President, I fear that champagne is getting to you – 'remarkability' is not even a word!" Hank said with a grin, "However, I understand your meaning. I should think enough for an evening dress, a new pair of shoes and some jewellery should suffice."

"Does our Miss Starbright have somewhere to be?"

"Yes, a dinner date," Hank said, "With the Worthingtons, in fact, tomorrow night."

"Then I shall have to pay her tonight before she leaves," the President said, "I've been looking for an opportunity to thank her. I find myself somewhat accosted every time I try to cross the room at the moment."

"Try growing blue fur and claws – it's a nightmare on the furniture but it does do a wonderful job of clearing a path through a room for you," Hank said with a grin.

* * *

Jack tiredly wandered back to office 42b with her friends to pick up a jacket she had left there at the beginning of the evening. She collapsed into her chair and put her feet up on the desk, complaining that she hadn't stood up for such a long time ever. 

"Stop whinging," Cathy said.

"I'm not whinging, I'm complaining," Jack retorted, removing her shoes to nurse her sore feet.

"Same difference!" David said with a laugh.

They were interrupted by the door opening. All of them looked on in surprise as the President walked through.

"Miss Starbright," the President addressed Jack directly. She stood up as her colleagues watched in shock, "I'm not normally in the habit of paying my employees in advance, but I've heard that you are going on a dinner date with the Worthingtons tomorrow, and will be in need of a new dress."

He smiled at her, his eyes shining in a happy, amused sort of way as he handed her an envelope filled with notes.

"Thank you for your help, you've saved me a lot of trouble," he said.

"No problem," Jack said, tucking her wages inside her jacket.

The President smiled then bowed his head slightly and left the room.

"You know the _President_?" Laure asked.

"You've got a dinner date with the _Worthingtons_?" David asked, incredibly excited.

"Wait, you _know _the Worthingtons?" Cathy said.

"I'm going to have to buy a _dress_?" Jack said with horror.

Her friends all laughed.

"You could have mentioned that before when we were busy making idiots out of ourselves!" Cathy said, pushing Jack jokingly.

"It was more funny not to," Jack said with a shrug.

"That explains why you were choking on your drink at least," Laure said with a grin.

"It's so not fair," David said, "Not only could you take all our jobs in a few weeks, but you also know the Worthingtons!"

"What's so great about that?" Jack said, "And I only know Warren, I've never met his Dad before."

"Huh, she calls him Warren like that's _normal_," Cathy said with an envious groan.

"You sound like Kitty," Jack muttered under her breath.

"You better buy a gorgeous dress, darling," David said, "Live the dream for all of us."

"You dream of wearing a dress?" Jack asked, making Cathy and Laure laugh.

"So how do you know the Worthingtons?" Laure asked.

"More importantly, how come you're going to _dinner_ with them?" Cathy butted in.

"Because I wanted to thank Mr. Worthington for something, so he invited me to dinner," Jack explained, "I'm not really sure how that works, but I'm not complaining."

"What do you want to thank him for?" Laure asked.

"Never mind that, how _do_ you know them?" David interrupted.

"I asked that before!" Laure said, rolling her eyes.

"Like I said, I don't know Mr. Worthington, only Warren," Jack said, "I told you earlier there were three X-men at the party. He's Angel."

"No _way_!" David said, "That guy has got altogether too much going for him. Rich, cute and totally sexy in leather."

"Ew, David! Keep your gross thoughts to yourself please!" Laure said as Cathy laughed.

"I bet he's sensitive and caring too…" David continued.

"Yeah well, he's also far too observant for his own good," Jack thought about this for a moment, then decided she was being too polite, "Actually, I'm just going to say nosey."

"So you're not interested?" Cathy asked with surprise.

"In what?" Jack asked.

"Well, duh," David said, "The totally hot guy you are going to dinner with tomorrow."

"I know I would be," Laure said, in a rare contribution to the conversations Cathy and David had about men.

"Right now the only thing I'm interested in is a nice relaxing bath and a long sleep," Jack said, picking up her shoes and putting them on, "So I'm off to find my ride home. I'll see you lot later!"

"With all the details of your night out?" David asked with an almost pleading look.

"Yes David," Jack said, "I'll be sure to tell you exactly what I had for starter, main course _and_ desert!"

* * *

Please review:) 


	16. Dinner With The Worthingtons

Ok, firstly - tomorrow I am off to Ireland for two weeks, and so will be unable to update for a while. To make up for this, I'm including a couple of hints about the next chapter at the end of this one.

Secondly, thanks once again to all the lovely people who reviewed the last chapter! Especially the people who review every chapter, this one is dedicated to you :)

Lastly, special message for creeativ - I went to see Stormbreaker the other day, it was absolutely fantastic (depsite having Bill Nighy in it... ugh I hate that man! lol) so, you should definately go and see it as soon as you get the chance! and yeah, he is kinda hot lol

* * *

Kitty and Rogue were a little apprehensive when they were called into Professor McCoy's office first thing the next morning. They peered round the door at the doctor, who looked up at them over his glasses briefly, before putting down his pen and moving whatever paper he had been working on to the side, and beckoning them in.

"No need to look so nervous," Hank said with a smile, "I have had you two pulled out of all classes this morning."

"Why?" Kitty asked before he had a chance to explain.

"Because I have a special mission for you to undertake," Hank said.

Rogue and Kitty straightened up a bit where they stood.

"Why just us?" Rogue asked.

"Because I think you are the only girls for the job," Hank said with a grin.

He reached into his drawer and pulled out an envelope of money.

"This is Jack's wages for the work she did yesterday at the opening party – I want you to help her spend it."

Kitty and Rogue looked at each other, their eyes lighting up.

"You're pulling us out of class to go shopping?" Kitty asked, "I _love_ this school."

Hank laughed as he handed her the envelope of notes.

"This is not going to be an easy mission," he said, returning to mock formality and seriousness, "You need to assist Miss Starbright in purchasing an evening dress and all the accompanying items. She will attempt to resist."

Kitty and Rogue both laughed.

"However, it is in her best interests to look wonderful, as she is going to dinner with the Worthingtons this evening."

The girls almost squealed with excitement. Even Kitty, who was normally more than a little jealous of Jack's closeness to Warren couldn't help grinning at the mischief of it all.

"Are you trying to set them up?" Rogue asked, giggling.

"Merely giving them a nudge in the right direction, my dear," Hank said, "You have until five o'clock to complete your mission. Storm wants you all back by then."

"Oh we'll be back before then," Kitty said, "We'll need time to do something with her hair."

"That may be mission impossible," Rogue said.

Hank grinned to himself as they skipped out of the room together, already planning the outfit they were going to get. Jack wouldn't know what hit her.

* * *

Some hours later, Jack stood in a changing room in a dress shop, changing in and out of the many dresses Rogue and Kitty had picked out. So far she had managed to get them to discard a pink dress she thought made her look like a marshmallow, and a poofy white dress that made her look like she was getting married, along with a load of others that she didn't like for one reason or another. 

"I can't possibly wear this," she said, indicating the yellow dress that Rogue had picked out for her.

"Why not? It's gorgeous," Kitty said, looking over to Rogue who nodded in agreement.

"I look like some sort of canary-cockatiel hybrid," Jack said, placing her hands on her hips.

Kitty rolled her eyes and handed Jack the next one.

Kitty and Rogue watched their pile diminish and wondered if any of the dresses would at least be tolerable to Jack. They got all the way down to the last one – a slim dark blue dress that was simple but pretty.

"I don't even know why I have to dress up so smart," Jack's muffled voice called out to them, "It's just dinner."

"Yeah, well you know how rich the Worthington's are, it will probably be in some ultra posh restaurant," Kitty said.

"Besides, you should dress up smart sometimes – it's fun," Rogue said, "How many other opportunities are you going to get to look so glamorous."

"Hopefully not many," Jack said, a hint of laughter in her voice.

She leaned over the top of the changing room door, looking out at her friends. Kitty looked up at her, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What's that look for?" Jack asked, a little nervously.

"I was just thinking about your hair," Kitty said, "It looks nice like that."

Jack had pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head to keep it out of the way. During the course of the day it had started coming loose and was falling in her face in little ringlets.

"Don't tell me you're overseeing my hair too?" Jack said.

"Come out and let us have a look!" Rogue said.

Jack rolled her eyes and opened the door, standing before them. Rogue and Kitty exchanged looks – the dress was perfect. It wasn't frilly or daring, so Jack couldn't complain too much about it, but it wasn't boring. The soft pleats in the material worked well alongside the sharpness of Jack's figure, making even her angular collarbone look less severe. The midnight blue material worked surprisingly well with her dark green eyes and as a bonus even went with her bracelets.

"You have to get that one," Rogue said.

"Absolutely have to," Kitty agreed.

"Well, I like it better than any of the others," Jack said nonchalantly.

"Excellent!" Kitty said before she could find something wrong with it, "Go get changed out of it and we'll buy that one."

"Then we can start looking for shoes!" Rogue said with a grin.

* * *

When they returned to the mansion, Jack was so exhausted she was ready to crash straight into bed. Rogue and Kitty gave her exactly thirty minutes rest before they came and woke her up to get her ready. 

Resignedly, Jack allowed them to do whatever they wanted to her. She sat patiently as they teased her hair into a respectable style, and as they poked and prodded at her face, applying makeup.

Finally, after what seemed to Jack like forever, they both stood back and admired their work.

Jack stood up and looked in the mirror. She looked elegant, something she had never looked before in her life. Her hair was styled much like she had had it before, but it was tidier and looked more deliberate. Kitty and Rogue had been surprisingly sparse with the makeup, which Jack was glad about, leaving her looking natural but not just bland. She was wearing her won jewellery, both her necklace and her bracelets, which provided her with enough of a sense of familiarity to feel comfortable in the dress.

Despite herself, Jack was quite pleased with the result.

"From jumble sale reject to elegant princess," Rogue said with pride.

"Our work here is done," Kitty said.

* * *

Warren had spent the day with his Father, and so hadn't been privy to the goings on in the mansion. He was surprised to find he was almost apprehensive about the upcoming meal, and the nervousness only grew as seven o'clock came. 

He knew he was being really stupid. The only person who had any cause to feel nervous was Jack, and he knew she wouldn't be bothered in the slightest, but he found himself worrying that he didn't look smart enough, or that he wouldn't have anything interesting to say to her. He had never got so worked up about a girl before, and that in itself he found confusing and worrying. What exactly was he feeling for Jack?

"I'm glad for the chance to meet this young lady at last," Mr Worthington said, interrupting Warren's worrying. They were stood together in the reception area to the hotel where they would be having their meal.

"I'm still not sure why you want to so much," Warren said, adjusting his tie self-consciously.

"Well, she clearly means a lot to you, and I'm making an effort to be as involved with your life as possible now, since I've made such a pig's ear of being a good father for the last twenty odd years."

"Dad, she's a student at the school, that's all," Warren said, though he was no longer convinced himself.

He turned back to look at the door, keeping an eye out for Jack. Subconsciously he was looking for a girl in dungarees, so when he caught sight of her, dressed up in her elegant dress, her hair styled and delicate sandals on her feet, his jaw fell open rather unflatteringly. Mr Worthington smiled and closed it for him with a finger.

"Just a student, you say?" he said, before walking over to meet the girl he had heard so much about.

"Good evening my dear," he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you at last!"

"You must be Warren Worthington Senior," Jack said, shaking his hand with a smile, "Forgive me for being overly formal, but I'm going to have to call you Mr Worthington else I'll get confused!"

"That's quite alright my dear," Mr Worthington smiled, "You look lovely in that dress, you know, Warren lead me to believe you were going to turn up in a pair of dungarees."

"In all fairness I probably would have, if the President of the United States himself hadn't told me I needed to buy a dress," Jack said.

Mr Worthington laughed, and offered her his arm. She took it and he lead her over to the table he had booked, where Warren was waiting for them.

"Don't you look smart in a suit!" Jack said, nodding at Warren with a dazzling smile.

"You look amazing!" Warren said before he could stop himself, "What have you done with your hair?"

He pulled teasingly on a lock that had fallen into her eyes. She brushed it out of her face with her hand, drawing Warren's attention to the fact that she was still wearing her bracelets – some things never changed at least.

"Brushed it," she said with a shrug, before sitting down in her chair. Warren rolled his eyes and sat down with her. She was still the same old Jack, even dressed up like a princess.

* * *

Through the meal the conversation was mostly lead by Mr. Worthington with Warren taking a back seat to watch and listen, contributing only when he was spoken to directly. He wondered if Jack minded that he was leaving her to do all the talking, but every so often she would look over at him and smile in a way that let him know she was quite comfortable and happy. 

At about nine, a band took to the stage and started playing slow dance tunes. Couples from around the room took to the floor and began to sway together as Jack looked on with distaste.

"Kitty and Rogue never said anything about dancing," she said, making Warren laugh.

"You don't like dancing?" Mr. Worthington asked.

"I've never done it before," Jack said, "Though I can't say it looks like much fun."

"You'd be surprised," Mr. Worthington said, turning to his son with a hint of a sly smile that Warren didn't much like, "Why don't you teach Jack a bit about dancing?"

"Why don't you?" Warren said, "I was never very good at it…"

"You're the teacher, my boy, I'm just a humble business man," Mr. Worthington said.

Warren knew he wasn't going to win.

Mr. Worthington sat back with a content smile as he watched his son lead Jack out to the dance floor, wondering if his machinations would encourage him to take their relationship one step further.

Warren's heart beat a little faster as he stepped closer to Jack.

"You're nervous," she said with a slight grin.

"Wouldn't you be?" Warren asked.

"Not if I knew what I was doing," Jack quipped.

"I should warn you," Warren said as he took one of her hands in his, putting the other at her waist, "I was never very good at this dancing business. I'm nervous for good reason."

"Well, given that I've never danced with anyone else, you have nothing to worry about," Jack said, "I've got no one to compare you to."

"You are always so straightforward and logical," Warren said with a small smile, as they started to move in time to the music.

"I'm more complicated than you think," Jack said, a darkness entering her eyes for a moment.

"Isn't everybody?" Warren said.

Jack looked away, as though thinking deeply about something. She looked troubled.

"Listen, I know you don't like people asking you questions, but if ever you want to talk about anything, I'm here," Warren said.

Jack didn't say anything, but she did step closer to him, resting her head against his chest slightly. Warren slipped his arm a little further round her waist. It was more of a hug than a romantic gesture, but he could see his Father smiling at him in a happy, satisfied sort of way.

The song finished and Jack smiled up at Warren like nothing had been said.

"Thanks for the lesson," she said with a grin.

"Any time," Warren replied.

As they headed away from the dance floor, Jack noticed the bar.

"Thirsty work, though, would you like a drink?" she asked, reaching into her small bag for her money.

"My Father would not allow you to spend any of your money on his night out," Warren said, pushing her hands down.

"Then I shall have to spend it before he notices," Jack said, pulling her hands away from Warren, "What can I get you?"

* * *

Callisto snuck into the hotel. It wasn't too hard – the guards were too busy looking smart to pay her much attention as she crept past the well-dressed guests, slinking through the shadows as much as she could. 

With her powers she had located Warren in this restaurant, alone. It was the perfect chance to strike. She had the cure weapon, all she had to do was shoot him with it. She wouldn't even have to get close. The restaurant was busy, crowded with people, so it was going to be difficult, getting a clear shot, but Callisto was patient – she had all night.

* * *

"Ok, you must have been to these types of fancy places with girls before – which drink would I like?" Jack asked Warren as they stood at the bar. 

"Well, it depends what sort of girl you are," Warren said, "A lot of girls stick to spirits and mixers, but I've seen a fair few enjoying a beer."

"What sort of girl do you think I am then?" Jack asked.

"I dunno," Warren said, looking her up and down, giving her an appraising look as she laughed, "I think you'd be a Vodka and coke kind of girl."

"Well, you know me better than most, so I'll trust you," Jack said.

Warren ordered their drinks, paying for them with Jack's money. He was just waiting for them to be served when he caught his Father waving him over.

"Do you mind waiting for the drinks?" Warren asked Jack, "My Dad wants me."

"Sure, no problem," Jack said with a smile.

Warren smiled at her briefly before going to find out what his Father wanted.

"She's a lovely girl," Mr. Worthington said as he approached.

"I'm not sure if 'lovely' is the best word to describe her," Warren said, "I would have said 'interesting'."

Mr. Worthington chuckled slightly.

"Well, whatever the word to describe her with, the word to describe you with is 'smitten'," he said, "I hope you aren't going to sit around and let her pass you by."

"What? I am not _smitten_ with Jack Starbright," Warren protested. Even as he said it he wasn't so sure. Mr. Worthington just raised his eyebrows.

"She is a student and a friend, Dad," Warren said, "That's all."

"I think you are the only person who believes that," his Father said.

* * *

Callisto waited for the perfect moment. With so many people everywhere she would only have one shot at this. Then she would have to disappear, and sharpish. She located Warren among the crowds, talking to his Father, and took careful aim. 

It was absolutely perfect. He would be hit right in front of the man who invented the Cure, nothing could possibly drive them further apart. The Cure would be taken off production immediately. Briefly the crowds parted and Callisto fired.

* * *

The barman placed the two drinks down in front of Jack with a friendly wink before moving off to serve someone else. Jack took them and looked around to find Warren. She spotted him talking to his Father not too far away and walked over. 

Whatever had been so important to talk about clearly wasn't going to be discussed in front of her, for as soon as she even got close they stopped and turned their attention to her.

"I hope you weren't talking about me," she said with a teasing smile, stepping in front of Warren, handing him his drink.

The smile she wore faded when she heard something rushing towards her. She turned round in time to meet with the cure bullet. It struck her right in the chest.

Jack had enough time to catch sight of Callisto cursing then dashing off before she collapsed backwards, eyes rolling into the back of her head, completely out cold.

* * *

Warren followed Jack's gaze up to see Callisto holding the gun in her hand. Any thoughts of her were pushed from his mind when Jack collapsed backwards into him. He managed to catch her, throwing half his drink on the floor in the process. Hers fell from her limp hand and shattered on the floor. 

Warren ignored all the people who were crowding around, and carefully lay her on the floor, avoiding the glass. He pulled out the cure bullet, throwing it to the side and put his hand to her face.

She was completely still, her breathing shallow, her complexion suddenly very pale. Warren checked her pulse. It was almost undetectable.

Warren frowned – he knew the transition from Mutant to human could be a bit jarring, but he had never heard of it knocking someone out. He looked up to his Father for reassurance only to find him frowning in confusion.

"I've never seen this before…" he said.

"Come on, Jack," Warren muttered, turning his attention back to the deathly pale girl, "Wake up."

After a few moments, it became clear that she wasn't going to. Warren slipped his arms underneath her and lifted her up.

"We have to get her back," Warren said.

"I can get a car," his Father offered.

Warren shook his head.

"No, I'll take her – it'll be quicker," he said, reaching in his pocket for his phone, "Call the mansion, warn them," he said, throwing it over to his Father.

Mr. Worthington could hear the fear and urgency in his son's voice and knew he hadn't been wrong with what he had said before. His son completely adored this girl and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was safe. He nodded to Warren and ran outside, hailing a taxi.

"Westchester," he said to the driver as he sat in the back, then used the speed dial on Warren's phone to call the mansion.

"Hello, can I speak to Doctor McCoy please? It's an emergency."

* * *

Warren ran through the hotel, holding Jack as safely as he could in his arms. 

"Where are you going?" someone called, "You need to get her to hospital. That way only leads to the lift!"

_Exactly_, Warren thought, running into the lift and closing the doors before anyone could pile in after him. He repeatedly jabbed the rooftop button. He knew it wouldn't make the lift go any faster, but it made him feel better, like he was making a difference rather than standing there hopelessly as the floors counted away to themselves.

Once he reached the roof top he burst out of the door, snapping the bonds that held his wings, like he had done once before, and leapt from the building, taking to the sky. His eyes were watering from the speed but he just pushed harder. Warren was driven by one thought alone, and that was getting Jack back to the mansion where she could be cured.

Oh the ironies of that word. Callisto had wanted her to be cured, shooting her with a Cure bullet. Warren was tempted to be angry at his Father for ever inventing the Cure (which was probably what Magneto wanted) but ultimately, it hadn't been him holding the gun. It was no more his fault than it was Warren's.

Warren looked down at Jack who was still in her unconscious state, unchanged despite being thrown around an awful lot. One look at her pale face was enough to spur him on. Warren beat his wings harder, straining with every last drop of energy he had. In the distance, the mansion appeared.

* * *

I really hate to leave you guys on that... I will update as soon as I can when I get back, but I haven't even started the next chapter yet.

It will be called 'The Wrong Genes' and features Jack fighting for her life, Doctors McCoy and McTaggert being generally confused and not knowing what to do, and Rogue getting smart and starting to figure it all out.

It may also feature (for a bit of comic relief) Cathy and David giving Hank and earful about not being able to come and visit Jack. I haven't decided on that one yet.

Please review - I want to have loads and loads of lovely reviews to come home to. It will make me not so sad about being back home from my holiday :D

See you all in two weeks! xXx


	17. The Wrong Genes

I'm back! Just a few things before the new chapter:

Thanks to phoenixphantasy and Kari Lynn Craine- I had a great time on holiday:)

Ratdogtwo (and anyone else who is interested) I intend for this to be the first of a trilogy, each with an original character in it. I have the first chapter for the second installment written already, and most of the plot worked out in my head :) I also have plenty of plans for the third, so it's all looking good.

Finally... not being a comic reader, I don't really know much about Moira MacTaggart. I did look her up on Wikipedia (how I love that website) but she will probably be horribly out of character. So, apologies for that in advance!

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and thanks for your patience - here is the long awaited 17th chapter!

* * *

Rogue looked down at her friend's pale face, brushing her hair absentmindedly with a gloved hand.

Ever since Professor Worthington had brought her back after she was struck by the Cure bullet she had been lying there, unchanging, despite Doctor McCoy's best efforts. Rogue felt guilty for ever being grateful that a Cure had been made. Her salvation was destroying her best friend, killing her slowly.

At first Jack had been able to sustain herself within her coma like state, but as the hours then days passed she became rapidly more dependant on life-support as her body just gave up.

What was worse was no one could explain it. Jack was skinny, but otherwise healthy. There was no reason why she was dying.

Rogue had no knowledge of medicine, so she did the only thing she could do for her friend. She hoped.

* * *

Hank admitted defeat three days after the ill-fated dinner and called for outside help. Moira MacTaggart, expert on all things mutant was the first person he called. She said she would be on the next plane to New York, but the X-men went one step better and picked her up in the Jet. A few hours later, clutching a small holdall, Moira was on the doorstep to the mansion.

"Thank you for coming Moira," Hank said as he greeted the female doctor.

"No problem," Moira said, "Where is she?"

"Right through here," Hank said.

He lead her into the basement of the mansion to where Jack was lying, still unmoved, all the various life support machines practically living for her.

"I must admit to being totally stumped," Hank said gravely, "I can think of no reason why she would react this way. Mr. Worthington has seen the cure delivered to hundreds of Mutants and says he's never seen anything like it either. It's like the cure is suppressing her whole body, not just the X-gene."

Moira examined Jack, checking her pulse, her breathing and temperature, just like Hank had done on his preliminary examination. A light frown appeared on her forehead.

"Is it possible she's had some sort of negative reaction?"

"There is no sign of distress, though," Hank said, "No swollen glands, her breathing isn't rasping… She's just gone into complete system shutdown. Comatose."

"Have you taken a blood test?" Moira asked.

"Yes, nothing irregular – slightly higher than average Haemoglobin count, but not enough to cause this."

"Brain scan?"

"As would be expected for a patient in a coma."

"What about a genetic scan?" Moira asked.

"No, I didn't do that," Hank said, "I didn't think it would tell us anything."

"Well, given that we have no other starting point, it might be an idea to give it a try," Moira said, "Even if it does only tell us what we already know, at least we won't have lost anything. And while we work tell me everything you know about her, background, heritage, everything you know."

"That won't be an awful lot," Hank said.

* * *

Warren stood on his balcony, more upset and worried about Jack than he cared to admit. He tried not to dwell on it too much but lessons proved to be no distraction, as he was always looking over to the empty chair where she should have been sat, hanging off his every word as she always did.

"It's not your fault," his Father had said as they stood together the first night, on Warren's balcony, much like he was now.

"I know," Warren said, "But that bullet was meant for me…"

"What do you mean?"

"Callisto, the woman shooting the gun, she looked annoyed before she dashed off… She never meant to hit Jack, and Jack was stood right in front of me when she was hit."

"Doctor McCoy will be able to help her," his father said confidently.

But he hadn't… Now they had called in the reinforcements – some woman from Britain that Warren hadn't met yet. She had arrived earlier that day. Warren wondered if she would be able to come to any different conclusions. She was supposed to be a mutant expert, but what would she be able to do that Hank hadn't done already?

The others offered what little comfort they could, but most were starting to prepare themselves for the worst. Not many believed Jack would pull through.

Only Rogue held onto any hope.

* * *

"You should get some sleep," Moira said to Rogue, handing her a mug of hot chocolate as she sat down beside her.

"I know," Rogue said, "But I keep telling myself 'I'll wait five more minutes, see if she wakes up' and before I know it another hour has passed."

"You and Jack are close then," Moira said.

"She's my best friend," Rogue said with a shrug, "I haven't know her very long, but it's the same with most of the people who get inside my head. I feel an attachment that's deeper than just normal friendship. She's like a sister to me."

"The people who get inside your head?" Moira questioned.

"My power," Rogue held up her gloved hand, "If I touch someone's skin I absorb their spirit – their powers and their memories."

"And you have done that to Jack?"

"Yeah, when my power came back after getting the cure…" Rogue spat the word she had once spoken with reverence.

Moira smiled at her sadly, putting a comforting hand on the girls shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said, "If she wakes, I'll come and get you straight away."

"Thanks," Rogue said, draining her drink. The warm liquid was making her sleepy.

"Try to get some sleep," Moira said, taking the mug back from her, "I know it's hard."

Rogue nodded, and went over to the door. Just before she left, she turned back to Moira.

"There's one thing that confuses me about all this though," she said, "Part of Jack's power is to block things, with a shield. Why didn't she block the cure bullet?"

When Moira had no answers, Rogue continued up to her bedroom.

* * *

"You got Rogue to go to her room?" Warren said with surprise as he stepped into the medical room.

"I think she finally gave into exhaustion more than anything," Moira said.

"She's been dead on her feet for a couple of days now," Warren said, "I'm Warren, by the way, I wanted to thank you, for coming."

"It's no problem – anything for Xavier's X-men," Moira said, a shine of pain in her eyes, "I don't know how much I can do that Hank hasn't done already, but I will try everything in my power."

"Well, Rogue's not the only one who's grateful to you for that," Warren said.

"Everyone here has seen so much death lately," Moira said, turning back to the kettle she had used to make Rogue her drink, "The others don't dare to hope in case they have their hearts broken again."

"Do you think she's going to die?" Warren asked, his throat dry.

"I honestly don't know," Moira said, "I can see no reason why she should, but unless we can shock her out of this coma she may just keep shutting down."

Warren looked over to where Jack was lying, pale but otherwise peaceful. His heart was tearing in his chest. He had never felt so strongly for anyone before and in a way it scared him, and not only because he thought she might die.

Moira looked over at him with a sad, knowing smile.

* * *

Hank went into work to touch base. He had told them of the situation, and they were completely fine about him only popping in briefly – they weren't going to deny the X-men their Doctor.

"Still no change," he told the President when he asked after her.

As he headed back out to his car, he was confronted by Jack's friends from work.

"We heard that Jack got hurt," Cathy said.

"Is she going to be ok?" David asked.

"I… don't know," Hank said, not having the heart to raise their hopes by lying, "She suffered an adverse reaction to the Cure and has gone into a coma."

"But, but, she's going to get better, right?" David stammered.

"I don't know," Hank repeated, "I sincerely hope so, but I don't know what I can do to help her…"

"We're coming with you to see her," Cathy said.

Hank shook his head.

"You know I can't let you do that."

"Why not? She's not just an X-man!" Cathy snapped angrily.

"She's our friend too!" David added with equal fervour.

Hank put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I know," he said, "And I'm sorry. If anything changes I will let you know straight away."

"And if the worst comes to the worst?" Laure asked.

"Then I will certainly not deny you the right to attend a friend's funeral," Hank said, "But for more than just security reasons I hope it does not come to that."

* * *

Rogue got up late the next day. No one came to wake her, and Kitty had left her a note saying she could rest as long as she needed. Rogue didn't feel like sleeping any longer than she already had, but equally didn't feel much like going to lesson until she had woken up a bit, and eaten breakfast.

She got herself some toast, eating it quickly, before taking a brisk walk round the mansion to try and revive her brain slightly. She was walking past the library when she saw Jimmy sitting on his own in a corner.

He looked upset, and Rogue thought that it was unlikely that anyone had tried to talk to him, see if he was alright. No one really liked being around him because of his power. But Jack had always made the effort, and the boy was probably missing the interaction as much as he was worried about his friend.

Rogue sat down net to Jimmy, taking his hand in hers.

"You ok?" she asked him.

"Not really," he said. He had an almost guilty expression on his face. Rogue wondered if he blamed himself because he was the source of the cure.

"This isn't your fault Jimmy," Rogue said, "Callisto was the one who pulled the trigger. You don't have to feel guilty about it."

"I'm not guilty about that," Jimmy said.

"Then what is it?" Rogue asked gently, "You can talk to me, I'm here for you."

Jimmy smiled at her gratefully but the troubled expression didn't fade.

"I think I know something that could help them cure Jack," he said.

"Then why haven't you told them?" Rogue struggled to keep a demanding tone out of her voice.

"Because she made me promise to keep it a secret," Jimmy said.

Rogue looked down at Jimmy. She could see the inner turmoil. He didn't want to break his promise to Jack, yet equally he didn't want to see her die while withholding potentially vital information.

"Why don't you tell me," Rogue suggested, "Jack is my best friend, and she won't mind if I know. If I think it might help then we can tell everyone, if not I can keep a secret, and I won't tell anyone."

Jimmy thought about this. Given the circumstances he had no choice really, and it was better than just breaking his promise completely. He looked down at the floor then looked back up at Rogue.

"She's not a Mutant," he said.

* * *

Hank arrived back at the mansion and headed straight down to the medical room to find Moira waiting for him.

"You might want to take a look at this," she said.

Hank, hearing an edge in her voice, picked up his pace a little and swiftly crossed the floor to her side. She was looking at the genetic scan. As Hank looked down at it he started, pulled back, put on his glasses then looked closer.

"What on Earth?" he said.

"Exactly my reaction," Moira said.

* * *

Rogue paced back and forth as she headed down to the medical room, contemplating whether or not to tell Doctor McCoy. Would it even help? Jimmy had said that the cure had been tested on Humans and was found to have no negative affect.

In a moment of decisiveness she went to open the door. As she reached it, she heard Doctor McCoy talking to Moira, and paused to listen.

"She doesn't have the mutant X-gene," Moira said.

"But that would mean she's not a mutant," Hank said.

"I know, yet she has mutant-like powers," Moira said, "That again, is exactly what I thought. But look closer. This is the genetic scan for a typical mutant, and this is the genetic scan for a typical human. Now look at Jack's."

"It's like a blend, a cross between the two," Hank said.

"Yes," Moira said, "So she both doesn't have the X-gene, and is entirely an X-gene, which I guess is why she is suffering so badly with the cure. It doesn't have something specific to target, so it targets everything."

"Completely suppressing her entire system," Hank finished.

Outside, Rogue's decision was easy – she didn't need to break Jimmy's promise to Jack. They already knew.

"So if she isn't mutant or human," Moira said, "then what is she?"

"Perhaps like our friend Logan, Jack fell prey to an experiment," Hank suggested, "Genetic modification to better understand the mutant gene, the mutant phenomenon. Maybe even in hopes of manufacturing a cure."

"It would explain why she was so reluctant to talk about her past," Moira said, "Perhaps she is ashamed of it, or perhaps the trauma of it caused her to block it out and she can't even remember."

"Whatever it is, it's irrelevant," Hank said, "We need to work out how we can help her – does this information give you any ideas?"

"What about a blood transfusion?" Moira suggested, "Recipients of blood from Mutant donors have been known to develop their powers for a short while. Giving her body a dose of the Mutant X-gene might be enough to draw the cure away from her organs."

"It's an idea, but I have been unable to get a blood type for her. Each of the samples we have taken has proved inconclusive in the tests. We could go for the most common, but it's a risk."

"Can't you take another sample?" Moira asked.

"I fear it would make her too weak," Hank said, "It is risk, risk, risk every move we make. We need to decide what is the least risky strategy."

"Well, she hasn't got much worse in the last two days," Moira said, "The least risky strategy for now is to leave her while we decide with everyone else what is the best route to take. I don't think we alone can make this decision."

* * *

As Moira and Hank walked up to visit Storm together, Moira's phone rang. Hank paused to let her take the call. He tuned his ears out to let her have some privacy, and stared around the room, occasionally glancing over to see if she was done. He caught sight of her face and stopped. She had turned completely ashen with shock.

"Moira?" Hank asked as she hung up the phone, returning it to her pocket with a shaky hand.

"I…I have to go," she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"It's Kevin, he's taken a fall while playing at home, fractured his skull," Moira struggled to keep her voice steady, "I have to get back to him, Hank. I can't leave my baby in hospital all alone. If I leave now I should just make the next flight home."

Hank nodded.

"I think the X-men and I can handle Jack's case from now on," he said kindly, "you go and get packed, I'll call you a taxi."

* * *

"Where's she going?" Rogue asked Hank as they watched Moira be driven off in a taxi. Many of the other X-men had come out to thank the doctor and wish her son well, but Rogue had missed the explanation.

"Her son has been badly hurt, she's going back to Scotland to see to him."

Rogue had been angry at her abrupt departure, but couldn't hold onto it. Even though she didn't have children of her own, Rogue knew about how strong the maternal bond could be. She could only begin to imagine the pain Moira would experience every second she spent on the other side of the ocean from her hospitalised child.

They walked together back into the mansion in time to hear Storm summon them all to her office.

* * *

"Ororo, Moira has gone home – her son was injured badly, so we need to talk about Jack," Hank said as he stepped into her office.

"I hate to say it, but it will have to wait," Storm said, "The President called, he needs us to go to him immediately. He said it was important."

"More important than Jack?" Rogue demanded as she walked through the door.

"He said it was," Storm said, "He asked me to tell you he was sorry."

"We can't just leave her!" Rogue said.

"We don't have a choice," Hank said. The President knew the situation – he wouldn't have said something was more important than Jack's life lightly.

Rogue wasn't the only one who wasn't best impressed with the President's demand.

"What?" Warren said angrily, "We can't! What about Jack?"

"The timing is unfortunate, but there's nothing anyone can do about that," Storm said, "Emergencies don't wait until sick team-mates get better."

"I thought you said you would always put the lives of your team-mates first?" Warren said.

"Look, bub," Logan said, stepping in, pushing Warren away from Storm, "We all know you're crazy about her, but you can't let that get in the way of doing what you have to do."

Warren looked at him, eyes blazing, but softened when he saw the hurt and sorrow on Logan's usually emotionless face. He backed down and nodded sadly.

Rogue however, wasn't going to give in that easily.

"Someone can stay behind to watch her!" she said, "In case she takes a turn for the worse."

"I can't afford to lose any more team mates," Storm protested, "I'm one down as it is."

"I'll stay," Rogue said, "Let me stay and watch her. The President isn't likely to miss me – it's not like my power is particularly useful in emergencies…"

Storm smiled at her sympathetically and then reluctantly nodded – she knew she wasn't going to win this fight. Even if she dragged Rogue along, her heart wouldn't be in it, and neither would Warren's.

* * *

As soon as they were gone, Rogue headed down to the medical room where Jack was.

Rogue looked up at the genetic scan information. Hank had said it was neither mutant nor human, but some sort of infusion of the two. She had no X-gene, and yet her whole body was an X-gene.

Jack had always been strange. Perhaps she was some sort of Government experiment like Hank suspected. Rogue thought back to their first meeting in Magneto's encampment. It was hard to forget – it wasn't every day your powers returned to you like a bolt of lightening when you took someone's hand.

Rogue nursed her fingers as they tingled slightly at the memory. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

What if she had suffered such a reaction, not because her power had returned, but because Jack's energy was somehow incompatible?

Rogue looked over at the comatose girl, fingering her gloves nervously. In a decisive moment, she ripped the glove from her hand and marched over to Jack. Carefully, nervously, she lowered her hand to Jack's face, brushing her fingers over her cheek.

It wasn't as violent as that first encounter, but there was a definite crackle beneath her fingers, like static.

"Help me Jack," Rogue muttered, lowering her hands to her face once again, "Help me help you."

She touched her whole palm to Jack's face, holding on as long as she dared. Staggering backwards, tears streaming down her cheeks from the pain, Rogue back into a wall and collapsed to the floor out cold.

* * *

Not really much comic relief in there at all... that kinda failed to happen. Sorry lol, hope it wasn't too depressy.

Please review! I'd love to know what you thought of it xXx


	18. Summit Suspended

Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews :) Just to clear it up for those of you who were confused - Rogue does have her powers back. And for anyone who is still a bit confused about Jack - there are still many things you don't know! I will hopefully make them completely clear in the next couple of chapters.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. There is a bit at the end that may be a bit off as I am not an expert on the particulars of giving and taking blood. When I had a blood test I turned my ipod up full volume, closed my eyes and tried not to think about it, because I am a wimp like that so... lol

Anyhoo, here's chapter eighteen for you (eighteen out of twenty three! nearly finished!)

* * *

_She was surrounded by walls of metal, claustrophobic and cold. There was no warmth here, just the insistent flash of a light somewhere before her. In her metallic cocoon she sat, trying not to think of what went beyond those walls, because that was where the true horror lay._

* * *

Fully suited up the X-men stood around in an emergency room in the Pentagon. There were several defence people, politicians, and generally important people milling around, trying not to look intimidated by the superheroes they were sharing oxygen with. They were all waiting for the President. 

He arrived a few minutes later and, much to the annoyance of the defence people, went straight to Storm.

"I'm so sorry," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder before walking off to start the meeting.

"This better be important," the largest of the defence people said, "I have enough troubles on my hands without being called to top secret 'emergencies' and being made to wait twenty minutes."

"Well, I apologise for any inconvenience, General," the President said as levelly as he could, "But as I understand it, I employ you to ensure this country is safe. I have cancelled everything, from my afternoon tea with Senator Simons to the World Summit, is it too much to ask that you make the same sacrifices for me?"

The General didn't reply but backed down slightly, bowing his head.

"What is the problem, Mr. President," Hank asked.

"My friends, I fear we are about to be invaded," he said.

* * *

_She was getting dressed, ready for dinner with Warren. She was looking forwards to it so much, despite all the fuss that everyone was making about hair and dresses. She had a few minutes to herself while Kitty and Rogue _(wait, wasn't she Rogue?) _went to grab some food, so she admired herself in the mirror. How lucky that the girls had decided her bracelets matched the dress, but unfortunate that it had no pockets. She had a small, round, black object in her hand but there was nowhere on her person to carry it so she left it on the side before going to find her friends._

* * *

"Our satellites picked them up a few days back," a small scientist said, pressing buttons on the desk in front of him to reveal a computer screen. "But they weren't really doing anything, just listening to the radio frequencies, watching television, so we left them to it. Then, a couple of hours ago they started to move, and they're heading straight for us. If they carry on their current course they'll enter the atmosphere in a couple of hours." 

Storm looked down at the screen. On it was a blurry, black and white picture. Despite the bad quality, it was quite clear what it was of.

"Aliens?" the General said, impatience and disbelief ringing through his voice.

"We don't know if their intention is to attack us or not," the scientist said, "But it is widely agreed that it is better to be prepared for the worst."

"Why not blast them out of the sky before they even land?"

"Because they might be peaceful," Hank said, "Such an action would be the interplanetary equivalent of blowing up UN ambassadors…"

"As far as we can tell, their flight pattern should land them in Central Park. Even with the potential danger, civilians will be around – we need to evacuate the area, set up a perimeter and prepare for a worst case scenario," the scientist said.

"I know if all this precaution is necessary," the President said, "But I would feel considerably reassured to have you all on standby, in case things take a turn for the worst."

* * *

_She was underwater. A long way down as well, judging by the light. She could barely see the twinkle of the surface above her, but that didn't matter. She could hold her breath for a long time. She kicked her feet out of her cocoon, leaving its safety for the first time in what felt like an age. Each push of her feet and stroke of her arms propelled her closer to freedom – no more confinement in her cage behind the walls that kept her safe but also trapped. She broke the surface, taking a gulp of fresh air. Above her Lady Liberty loomed._

* * *

"Why have you got them here?" the General asked the President, inclining his head towards the X-men, "As you said, you employ me to keep this country safe. I don't need flashy, egocentric _superheroes_ to help me do my job." 

"Were here to do our job," Storm said levelly, "just as you are. You handle your job, and your people, I'll handle mine."

"And watch as you take all the glory, while my people – honest, hard working ordinary people risk their lives."

"And what makes you think we aren't honest, hard working ordinary people too?" Warren snapped, "We have jobs, we pay taxes – taxes that pay your wages."

"What's got your cage so rattled, _Angel_?" the General snapped, "Does it rile you that some people don't worship you? You're nothing more than a bunch of celebrities and I don't have time for that. If this planet needs defending I can do it by myself."

Warren stepped forwards aggressively, much to the surprise of the other X-men who had never seen the usually calm Angel lose his cool, but Logan got there first.

"You wanna know why he's so edgy, bub?" he said, extending his claws so they pointed upwards at the general's throat, "Because the girl he loves is back home dying and her doctor is standing there," he pointed across at Hank, "doing his duty, ready to save the world and there's an idiot here who doesn't appreciate that!"

The General looked round at the X-men, who were all staring at him coldly. His eyes travelled past Mystique to the President, but he found no reassurance there.

"Wolverine, back off," Storm said after a moment, "You've made your point. If that idiot doesn't get it now he isn't going to ever. Let's just do what we came to do so Starbright didn't get left behind for nothing."

The General, the President, the scientist, Storm, Hank and Mystique gathered round the table to discuss tactics and plans, while the rest of the X-men stood around with the rest of the General's men, trying to avoid each other's gaze.

"Since when did you go all paternal on me, Wolverine?" Warren asked quietly.

"Since you started going through what I went through," Logan said, "I just hope it works out better for you in the end."

Logan started walking across to the other side of the room.

"Wolverine!" Warren called after him. Logan looked back at him, "Thanks."

* * *

_She dried in the sun, standing with her arms spread wide. She could stand here all day, perfectly content, enjoying the freedom, the sunlight, the carefree nature of it all. Gone was the poverty and the repression, gone was the fear and the torment. She was free. But she wasn't. She couldn't just leave it all behind. Her path would take her back there someday and when it did, she had to be ready. With this in mind she walked and walked. How many days she wasn't sure, but around the city streets, along the beaches, listening, always listening. She learned their language, their words. She heard rumours of a power brewing in the nearby woods. Power, the thing she needed._

* * *

They had been stood in the small room for some time when the first mobile phone started ringing. It was one of the General's men, and he scrambled round, embarrassed, as he sought to silence it. When he pulled it from a pocket he stared at the screen in confusion. He picked it up and put it to his ear. 

"Hello?" he asked.

After a moment and a few more 'Hello's he looked over to his boss.

"Boss, you might want to listen to this," he said, then switched his phone over to speaker.

"Hello America," a voice said, "Please do not be afraid. We extend the hand of friendship. We will be great allies. We come in peace!"

"Sir!" a government official said, bursting into the room, "Something is overriding all our radio signals! It's playing this message over and over…"

He trailed off as he heard the words emitted by the phone.

"…do not be afraid. We extend…"

"That message," he said.

* * *

_She found him, meditating in the centre of a clearing. He was old, not the power source she anticipated, but he could move metal with his mind. She had watched him for a long time. She knew his secrets, but he didn't need to know that. He took her in but she began to doubt. Was destructive power what she really wanted? Or would that turn her into Him? The gods provided her with an alternative path and she took it. She went with the boy Bobby and the girl Rogue _(no, _she_ was Rogue) _back to her new source of power. The X-men._

* * *

"I don't like it," Storm said, "Something about this feels wrong." 

"How do they know our language?" Bobby asked.

"They've been sat up there listening, Iceman," Mystique said, "They've learnt it."

"I say we blast them now," the General said.

"Then it is a very good job that no one is listening to what you say," Hank said with patience, "Let them land, we'll all be there when they do. One wrong move and then we can act."

"It's risky," Mystique said.

"Scared princess?" the General asked, "Why don't you leave this one to the professionals?"

Mystique looked up at him slowly. Suddenly she was in her true form, and before the General could even process what had happened she had knocked him to the floor with an elegant move and was standing on his throat with a blue foot.

"We are professionals," she said, the dual-tone returning to her voice, "Why don't you start acting like one?"

"Mystique," Storm put a hand on the blue-scaled woman's shoulder.

Mystique pressed down on his throat one last time then eased up, backing off.

"Nicely done," Logan said to her in a gruff undertone.

She gave him a smile that quite clearly said 'yes, I know.'

"Mr. President!" another government official burst in, "there's press swamping the building, and they want a statement."

"Ok," the President said, straightening his tie, "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

_Who am I? She thought._

_She was a girl, stood on the edge of a precipice over-looking a land of terrible poverty._

_She was a girl hiding in a corner screaming 'don't touch me!' as her boyfriend lay dying on her bed._

_She was a girl at a party, laughing with her friends while drinking champagne._

_She was a girl in the Statue of Liberty, powering a machine that would kill hundreds of people._

_She was a girl a very long way from where she started out._

_Who am I? She screamed to no one._

_Rogue… a voice echoed._

_That's right, I'm Rogue _

(Rogue)

_I'm Rogue._

(Wake up, come on!)

I'm Rogue!

"I'm Rogue…" Rogue woke up muttering.

At the sight of the metal walls of the infirmary she recoiled, her throat constricting as memories of being trapped for so long flooded her senses.

"I'm Rogue," she said more firmly, pushing the memories back.

Her heart still hammering in her chest she stood up and walked out, back up to the regular section of the mansion. Once back in between wooden walls, Rogue felt calmer. She wondered if the fear she had felt was purely because of the overwhelming strength of the memories in her mind, or if Jack suffered with the claustrophobia all the time. She certainly didn't show it if she did.

She walked up to Jack's room, struggling not to think of it as _her_ room, and went straight in. She knew where she had put it (where _Jack_ put it, she chastised herself) and easily located the strange black object she was looking for.

It looked so much like a mobile phone close up that Rogue doubted anyone would have questioned her possession of it. She wanted to know what it was really for, because it certainly wasn't for making phonecalls, so she dropped the mental barriers Xavier had taught her to raise against the onslaught of foreign memories that flooded her mind when she absorbed a person's spirit. As the barriers went down, like floodgates opening, her mind was swamped.

* * *

_It was a gift, from her Mother, to protect herself. She had no gift, not like the others, not one she could use anyway. They would kill her if they knew the truth of who and what she was. She had to make it seem like she had the gifts like they wielded. A shield was perfect, and useful. Her Mother knew all the right people. Though poor, she was well connected, and there were many people who were willing to do anything for her, to ensure her survival. She was just five years old, she didn't really understand, but the new toy was fun._

* * *

Rogue pulled herself out of her own subconscious and trapped the memories behind the floodgate. Even with her barriers raised, she still felt a strange sentimental attachment to the object. Her Mother had given it to her, it was precious. 

"Stop it, Rogue," she said out loud, "the only thing your Mother ever gave you was dirty looks and an order to leave!"

Firm in her identity again, she turned back to the object and turned it on. She didn't know how she knew how to do these things – and it certainly wasn't obvious – but it was like an instinct and she just listened to it.

Around her a shield appeared, shimmering slightly before it settled and turned completely invisible.

"She didn't shield the bullet because she didn't have her shield on her," Rogue answered her own question.

What this meant, she still wasn't sure, but she was one step closer to solving the mystery and helping her friend. Now she just had to find the next step on the trail.

She tried looking through the other things on Jack's desk. She found a CD and turned it over in her hands. She could see the writing on it, but the squiggles didn't form letters, they were just lines at random. Frowning, Rogue squinted harder, and with intense concentration she picked out the words. It was just an audio CD.

Thoroughly confused, Rogue turned round and caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror. Kitty was right – she was looking really thin. Thin and suddenly illiterate. Rogue walked up to it, placing her hand on the glass.

"What's happening to me?" she breathed.

Her breath misted up the cold glass and by the time it faded, she knew the answer.

"Incompatible energy… You've changed me Jack, I'm becoming like you," Rogue whispered.

Suddenly she knew what to do. Jack needed an X-gene to wake her from the coma, and the easiest way to do that was a blood transfusion, but she had no discernable blood-type. However, if Rogue had been sufficiently changed by absorbing her energy then surely their blood would be compatible.

It was a risk, but was it a risk worth taking? Should she just wait for Storm and the others to get back from whatever emergency they were dealing with.

"Hey Rogue?" the voice of Siryn startled her from her musings, "There's something wrong with the TV."

"I'll come take a look, honey," Rogue said, following her out of the room.

Rogue arrived in the living room, where the kid who changed the channels by blinking was sat blinking away, but no matter what channel it was changed to, it kept coming back to the same image.

The image was that of a man, probably in his thirties, and he was smiling while repeating the same message over and over again.

"…in peace. Hello America…"

Rogue frowned as she looked at his face. Something about him seemed familiar. Flashes of the young girl and the poor city kept assaulting her senses.

"I don't know, guys," Rogue said, "I'm not very good with mechanical stuff."

A feeling of foreboding was growing in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the look of that man. His words were good, but something in his eyes wasn't. Something in his familiarity unnerved her. She knew he was bad and she had to do something. She had to wake up Jack.

She ran down to the medical room and grabbed Hank's emergency medical kit, accidentally knocking Jack's necklace to the floor. Hank had removed her necklace to avoid it getting caught as he tried to treat her. Rogue picked it up, experiencing the same rush of attachment towards the jewel as she had towards the shield generator. Memories of a woman with long brown hair and smiling eyes flashed before her eyes. Jack's mother…

Grimacing Rogue took out one of the medical syringes. Hank had taken blood samples from her before, to help make sure she was entirely healthy. She had always watched him do it. It looked easy enough, but could she imitate it?

Gritting her teeth, she pushed the needle into her arm, aiming for the vein. Fortunately for her, the vein on her arm was quite prominent and she hit it without too much trouble. She filled the syringe, trying to ignore the strange pins and needles like sensation that was creeping up her arm from her fingers.

When she thought she had enough, she walked over to Jack's sleeping body. The heart rate was barely registering now. If Rogue didn't do something, her friend would be dead within hours.

"Please let this work," she whispered like a prayer.

When the deed was done she went back upstairs and headed out into the town, warning the children to stay in the mansion. If radio and television were down, Rogue would have to find out what the strange message playing over and over again was the old fashioned way.

* * *

The newspaper vendor at the end of the street rubbed his hands together in glee. The papers he was selling were literally hot off the press. They had been printed moments ago in a nearby printing facility, and were being delivered to him in dribs and drabs as the lines finished. People were snapping them up faster than he could take their money. 

With television and radio down, people were reverting to the old faithful newspaper to get their story. And the story everyone wanted was the mysterious message playing over and over again. Who was coming? Or what?

A pretty girl with long brown hair with two white streaks in the front walked up and grabbed a paper.

"Hey, you gonna pay for that?" the newspaper vendor asked.

She ignored him, and walked straight off, gazing at the picture that went with the headline.

"Hey!" he repeated, but others were clamouring for his attention so he had to let her go.

"Damn kids…" he muttered, picking up a paper to hand it to an old lady.

On the front was a picture of an approaching spaceship, the headline above reading, 'They come in peace!'

* * *

Please review:) Xx 


	19. Jack's True Power

Hey there! Thanks for all the reviews again :)

I'm off to Cambridge for the weekend with my boyfriend and his family, so I thought I would post this up before I went, because I'm nice like that. lol

Now for a bit of shameless promo... I've been writing another story called Sooner Or Later. It's a love story and doesn't have much in the way of action, fighting and blowing things up (not like this one lol) but hopefully plenty of drama and romance. I'd love for you guys to take a look at it and tell me what you think because it's so unlike anything I've ever written before.

Hope you enjoy chapter nineteen of Starbright!

* * *

"_Magnificent, isn't she?" Magneto said, looking up at the Statue of Liberty then back down at her._

"_I've seen it," she replied._

_Her hands were caught in handcuffs, and already sore from where she had tried to pull loose from them. He was going to kill her. He had never been after Logan, it was her he had wanted all along._

"_I first saw her in 1949. America was going to be the land of tolerance. Peace," Magneto spat the word 'peace' out._

"_Are you going to kill me?" She asked fearfully. She had to know._

"_Yes."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because there is no land of tolerance. There is no peace. Not here, or anywhere else."_

_No there wasn't, not now, but she would make it so there was. It was what she was born to do. Her gift, her right._

_But before she could do anything she had to wake up. She had to be dreaming, because these memories didn't belong to her._

_Wake up!_

* * *

Jack woke with a head full of thoughts that were not hers. Thoughts of Logan, a home she had never seen before and thoughts of Bobby. 

"Rogue…" Jack murmured as she winced, trying to contain all these stray thoughts.

She tried to remember what had happened. She had been at a restaurant, dining with the Worthingtons. There had been dancing and then…

Jack didn't remember much after that. She had been shot, she thought, but there was no mark on her body where a bullet might have hit her. But then, she didn't know how long she had been out – she could have been in a coma for months. And why was her head full of Rogue's thoughts?

She lay back down in bed, wondering where everyone else had got to. The mansion was extremely quiet. She couldn't hear a sound except that of a radio, playing quietly to itself in the corner, presumably to keep her company, and an insistent beeping that was coming from somewhere within the medical room she was in. It was starting to annoy her so she sat up and took a look around. She assumed it was coming from some piece of medical equipment, something she could hopefully unplug.

As soon as she sat up to take a look she knew something was wrong. The familiar weight of her necklace was no longer around her neck. She looked round to the table at her bedside, knowing what she would see there. Her necklace, the unusual symbol wound around a spherical orange gemstone, was sat on a tray. The orange gemstone was flashing in time with the beeping.

Jack's eyes widened in horror. She swung herself out of bed, dressed quickly and, grabbing the necklace, made a run for the door. In the background the radio repeated the alien message over and over again.

* * *

Rogue came back, reading the paper as she walked, heading for the living room where all the kids were gathered. 

"It's still being funny!" Siryn complained as she walked in.

"I know," Rogue said, "Every TV in the world is."

"Even my Dad's in Ireland?" Siryn asked.

"Yep," Rogue said, turning back to the paper.

"How is that possible?" Jimmy asked.

"The TV is tuned into a satellite," the blinky kid said, "if someone hijacked that signal or something it could work, right Rogue?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Rogue said. She didn't really have a clue, but thought the kid would be happiest if she just agreed with it, "I'm just looking to see what the paper says."

"What does it say?" Jimmy asked.

"I uh…" Rogue looked at the picture and wondered if the truth would scare them, "Not much," she said in the end, "Pretty much what he said." She nodded over at Blinky.

"This is annoying!" one of the younger kids said.

"Well, why don't we put a DVD on," Rogue suggested, taking a box out of a nearby cupboard, "You all stay in here, choose one – and no fighting about it! I'm just going to go down to the basement."

"Ok Rogue," Siryn said, then began mediating a discussion about which movie to watch.

Rogue smiled at them all, then headed down to check on Jack. When she found the medical room empty she forgot all about the kids, ran straight to the garage, grabbed a set of keys and drove off to find Storm.

* * *

The newspaper vendor was still rubbing his greedy hands together when a girl with ratty brown hair pushed through the crowd around him, grabbed a paper and marched off again. 

"Hey!" he called after her, "You're supposed to pay for that!"

She didn't even look back and soon vanished among the crowds that were milling around.

"Bloody kids…" he grumbled.

* * *

Storm looked around the area. People were gathering in their thousands, and there was no way that the combined efforts of the army and the police force would ever be able to keep them away. They had only managed to set up a shaky perimeter, and as soon as the riot police were overpowered, everyone would swamp into the park to get a closer look. 

Humans… They couldn't accept mutants but they were ready to accept aliens with open arms.

"Do you think we can expect Magneto to make a show?" Logan asked.

Storm turned to him.

"I don't know," She admitted, "I think it is safe to say he had some sort of plan in mind. His movements have never been random – the attack on the school, springing his Brotherhood from jail, you can guarantee there's a reason behind it all. But, I don't think Magneto anticipated this. It might just throw a spanner in the works of whatever it was he had planned."

"In other words you don't know," Logan said with a smirk.

"Basically," Storm said.

"I'm sure our magnetic friend will have something to say about all this before too long," Hank said.

"What are we doing now then?" Bobby asked.

"We wait," Storm said, looking skyward.

"What for?" Kitty asked.

"For something to happen," Storm replied.

One by one the other X-men followed her gaze, staring up through the buildings and clouds, looking for any sign of the approaching ship.

* * *

Jack marched purposefully towards the clearing where Magneto was still hiding out with his Brotherhood. Pyro was the first to see her. 

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, but gave her no chance to answer. He just shot a jet of fire out at her.

Jack turned to him and held up her hand. Pyro felt something in his body tug suddenly, and his control over the fire died. Jack pulled it towards her hand, shrinking it down until it fitted in her palm, then closed her hand over it, extinguishing the flame.

"Don't," she said coldly.

Pyro flicked his hands, the contraptions on his wrists producing a spark, but he was unable to control it.

"My power…" he said with horror, "You've taken my power!"

"Yes," Jack said, "And if you want it back, you better take me to Magneto, now!"

Pyro looked at her fearfully and did as he was told, leading her through the trees to where Magneto's camp was located, flicking his hands disbelievingly the entire way.

"Magneto!" she called, "I want a word with you!"

Magneto stood up, a look of amused surprise on his face. His Brotherhood didn't look quite so amicable.

"What is _she_ doing here?" the Juggernaut demanded, starting his charge towards her.

Jack shot out a beam of her immobilising energy, stopping him dead in his tracks. With her other hand she manipulated the spark that Pyro was repeatedly producing and used it to create a flamethrower to push back another mutant that had moved to attack her.

"Call them off Magneto!" Jack called, "Or do I have to go through them all before I'm granted an audience?"

Magneto chuckled and called his Brotherhood off. He looked down at the girl before him. She had changed. Gone was the light-hearted indifference, in its place a darker, colder look. She looked entirely serious and exuded power, a force to be reckoned with rather than the minor irritation he had always considered her in comparison to some of the other X-men. The rest of her demeanour suddenly matched the depth of her eyes. Magneto was intrigued.

"I do believe there are many things you haven't been telling us about yourself, Jack my dear," he said walking over to meet her.

"I can sense her," Callisto said, surprise echoing through her voice, "Careful Magneto, I don't trust her one bit."

"I don't make a habit of telling my enemies my deepest, darkest secrets," Jack said.

"If we are your enemies, then what are you doing here?" Magneto asked.

"I need your help," Jack said, coolly looking him in the eye.

"Why not ask your precious X-men?" Magneto said with a smile, "What can we do that they can't do better."

"Because the X-men don't kill people," Jack said.

* * *

Rogue all but crashed the car into a parking space. It was actually just a gap between two generators, but for now it would have to do. She didn't have the time to find a legal space, and with all the people running around she would probably run someone over. 

She got out and locked it, running towards the line being held by the riot police, trying to keep the crowds back from the park. Rogue pushed through, her distinctive white hair granting her a fairly fast passage to the front.

"That's Rogue, the X-man," people were whispering all around her.

"Hey!" she called, banging on the shield of one of the police, "Let me through, I need to get to my team mates!"

"We can't let anyone through, boss's orders," the police officer called back.

"I'm not just anyone," Rogue said, "I'm Rogue, I'm an X-man!"

"We can't break the line," the officer insisted.

"Fine!" Rogue snapped.

She took a step back then ran at the officer, using the strength and agility born of many a danger room training session to vault over him. She pushed down on his shield and flicked her legs over her head in a graceful flip. As she landed the crowds stopped pushing to applaud. She bowed with a wide grin on her face before running off to find Storm.

Suddenly she heard a collective gasp. People stopped running around and one by one turned to look skyward. Rogue followed their gaze and looked up. Bursting through the clouds was a space ship, not unlike the jet the X-men flew. All around people cheered and applauded, but Rogue's stomach sank again, that ill feeling intensifying again. She had to get to Storm before it was too late.

* * *

"Well, I've never had a problem with killing people," Magneto said, "But before I agree to help you, I would like to know why, and why I should help." 

"Why, because this whole planet will be in danger if you don't, and if that isn't enough to satisfy why you should, then you should because I told you to," Jack said.

"No one can tell me what to do," Magneto said, "Least of all a skinny little girl who is one against my entire Brotherhood."

"What good are your Brotherhood if they don't have powers?" Jack asked, holding out her hands.

All around random members of the Brotherhood gasped as something deep inside of them wrenched. They all tried to use their powers and found, like Pyro did, that they had been robbed of them. Magneto felt the same rip as Jack took his power from him.

"How do I look now, Callisto?" Jack asked, her voice echoing strangely within her own throat.

"Of the scale," Callisto murmured fearfully.

All the metal tent pegs were wrenched from the ground and ripped apart into tiny pieces of metal. The fires from the campsite all shot to the sky, surrounding the metal.

"Imagine it, if you will, Magneto," Jack said, "A rain storm of molten metal falling from the sky onto your Brotherhood. You try to run and a shockwave of energy released when I clap my hands together knocks you all to the floor, and you are left defenceless, writhing on the ground in agony as my fire descends upon you."

She closed her eyes and breathed out. All around the Brotherhood felt the shove of something returning to them.

"Or you can agree to help me," Jack said, tears running down her cheeks from the intense effort it had taken to sustain so much power, even for a few moments. The death trap in the sky fell to the floor, harmless.

"What do you want us to do?" Magneto asked.

"I presume you've seen this?" Jack asked, holding up a newspaper. On the front page was a satellite picture of the approaching spacecraft.

"Yes," Magneto said, "They come in peace!" He read the headline of the paper.

"No," Jack shook her head, "They don't."

* * *

Please review:) Xx 


	20. Peace Off

I was never going to post this today. I'm supposed to be out helping my boyfriend celebrate his eighteenth, but instead I'm at home, sick in bed. :( Very bad for me... but good for you, as this is now finished much earlier than it was going to be! (hope it's quick enough for you IcedBlaze - I'd love a nice long review :) would cheer me up no end!)

For some reason I've had real trouble with this chapter. I still don't like it much, but it will do. Hope it doesn't read to jumpy or out of character. I tried to make it nice and long to make up for that.

Anyhoo, here's the chapter. Only three left to go now, and one of them is already written (unfortunately it's the last one, so you'll have to wait again for the next, though hopefully not as long!)

* * *

Jack sat a little way from the Brotherhood as they made preparations to leave. Her head was pounding so much it felt like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets from the pressure.

She felt a tickle high up in her nose and then a warm drip of something on her face. She put her fingers to her nose, wiping away a trickle of blood. On seeing the red liquid on her fingers she swore.

"So, you're an alien from outer space?" Pyro's voice asked from above her.

She looked up as he sat down next to her.

"For me it was inner space," she said with a shrug.

Pyro smirked.

"You're bleeding," he pointed out.

"I know…" Jack said, almost self-consciously dabbing at her face, "It's going from hot to cold that does it," she lied.

It was cold enough outside for Pyro to believe her without question, and in a surprising act of chivalry, he took off his jacket and handed it to her.

"You're going to be nice to me now?" Jack asked, pulling it on.

Pyro shrugged.

"It seems like you're calling the shots now," he said.

"In other words you're afraid of me," Jack said.

"I am not afraid of you!" Pyro protested.

Jack rolled her eyes then stood up.

"Good, because I'm not the one you should be afraid of," she said, before walking over to find Magneto.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked the master of magnetism.

"Ready when you are, my dear," Magneto replied.

"Then lets move…" she said.

* * *

Rogue pushed through the crowds, struggling more and more as the arrival of the spaceship caused a massive wave of eager civilians to push forwards, swamping the entire area. 

The riot police were totally overwhelmed, and many had given up resisting and had indulged in their own urges to get closer and have a better look. Rogue struggled to push against the tide towards where Storm was waiting, but she couldn't. She had neither the strength nor the confidence. She was too afraid of touching someone's skin and inadvertently hurting them. Though she didn't doubt that there would be people killed in the crush, she didn't want to add to the problem.

As the ship landed the crowds stopped heaving, and everyone looked over. Rogue knew this was her chance, but she was as captivated as the rest, unable to draw her eyes away from the majestic ship. Her heart hammered in her chest as it opened, reacting to a fear that was so real, but grounded in nothing. Nothing she had experienced at any rate…

* * *

Storm watched calmly with the others as the ship landed softly on the grass, resting on three large feet descending from beneath it. Like in any alien film, a large ramp was lowered with a hiss of air, and light flooded outwards. 

"'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' anyone?" Bobby said.

Kitty punched him on the arm and they turned their attention back to the ship. From within it, people started marching out. They were dressed in long robes that made them look like monks. It was a good look to display peace and harmony, but part of Storm's brain was thinking about how they had been sat watching telly, studying the human race, for a long time. They would know how to look peaceful.

"You have your cynical face on, my dear," Hank said to her.

"I don't like this," she said, "I hope I'm proved wrong but I have a bad feeling."

"Well, I don't see any sign of our magnetic friend, so at least that's one less thing to worry about," Hank said.

* * *

"You know, the arrival of your little friends has totally ruined all my plans for chaos and disruption at the summit?" Magneto said to Jack as they walked towards Central Park. 

"And I suppose my getting shot was part of the plan?" Jack asked.

"Actually, my dear, I never intended to have you shot," Magneto said, "You just got in the way at an inopportune moment."

"That's nice," Jack said.

After a moment of walking in silence, Jack spoke up again.

"I can imagine this will be just as much fun for you as disrupting a summit," she said, "it's as good a way as any to announce to the world that you are back."

"I suppose," Magneto conceded.

They walked on swiftly for another few minutes until they arrived at the edge of the crowds of people, clamouring to see the spaceship.

"What now?" Magneto asked Jack.

"Disperse amongst the crowd so when the time comes, you come at them from all directions. Surprise is going to be our best advantage."

"They don't look so threatening," Magneto said, looking at the priest-like attire of the aliens.

"Don't let the look fool you," Jack said, "under those robes they'll be in full fighting gear."

"I'm really not sure why I'm trusting you on this," Magneto said.

"Because, Magneto, liars always know when people are telling the truth," Jack replied.

Magneto laughed.

"You are much more interesting when you aren't pretending to be something you're not," he said, "Now, how do you suppose we cut through this crowd?"

"You're the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants," Jack said, looking back as she walked into the crowd, "If that doesn't clear a path for you then what will?"

* * *

Rogue stood watching as the people began to file out of the ship. 'Ooh's and 'ah's sounded all around her as wonder-filled eyes took in the sight of the alien envoy, but she couldn't join in. Something was wrong and she knew it. 

"Rogue," a voice said from behind her. She turned round to see Jack stood there, half smiling at her.

"Jack?" she said with surprise.

"Rogue, I need your help," she said.

"But you're awake, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" Rogue said.

"There's no time," Jack said, "I need you to do something for me."

"But, there's something wrong – I know it. I can feel it," Rogue said urgently, "You know it too, it's you who I can feel in my head. You have to do something, because you know."

"Yes," Jack said, "So I need to show you something, as you're the only one who can back me up on what I'm about to do."

"What are you going to do?" Rogue asked, confused.

Jack never answered, she just closed the gap between them in a couple of paces and put her hands on Rogue's face.

Rogue tried to struggle away from her, but her grip was too strong. As she started absorbing Jack's life force, and unusual amount of memories began flooding into her mind. It was like Jack was forcing her memories into Rogue's mind.

"What are you doing?" Rogue asked, "I'm going to hurt you, stop it!"

"You're not going to hurt me," Jack said, "I know when to stop, so stop fighting me!"

Rogue stopped struggling to reign in her power and let the link widen. The barrage of memories was painful, and tears streamed down her eyes.

"Sorry Rogue," Jack whispered, "But I have to show you this."

As the weight of the memories stopped Rogue's mind from concentrating on anything else, Jack guided her to the floor. As the last image was pushed from her mind, through into Rogue, she pulled away her hands and stood up.

"Look after her," Jack ordered the nearby people, who had taken their gaze off the ship to the strange goings on happening right next to them, "And don't touch her skin!"

The people nodded as Jack marched off and knelt to the floor to help Rogue sit up. Rogue stared after Jack for as long as her eyes could keep a focus on her. What was she going to do? Rogue couldn't ponder on the possibilities for too long – she had a whole new bunch of memories that she needed to get under control.

"Wait," Rogue muttered as she succumbed to the inevitable black out, "wasn't that Pyro's jacket?"

* * *

Jack caught back up with Magneto as the President stepped forwards onto a small stage, presumably to meet with the alien leader. 

"What are we to do then?" he asked.

"Let me deal with him," she said nodding towards a man who was walking out of the centre of the envoy, "then wait for me to let you know it's ok to attack. They might just go away, but I doubt it."

"What about the X-men?" Magneto asked.

Jack looked up at him, a menacing look lurking beneath her otherwise expressionless face.

"Don't hurt them," she said, cold threat dripping from her words, before wandering off again.

"As you wish," Magneto said.

* * *

Jack looked at the landing area. It was surrounded by a small fence, but that was nothing. She could vault it easy enough. The X-men were arranged on a platform, overlooking everything, and there were plenty of army people scattered around. 

Jack looked back over at the X-men. As far as they were aware she was still back in the medical room in the mansion. Rogue was probably in the crowd because she had been heading to tell them she was gone.

They looked majestic and magnificent stood on the platform. All except Wolverine, who looked bored. He wasn't really onside with the benevolent and giving ethos the X-men upheld. Jack identified with this. She felt her attitude was much closer to Logan's than most people realised. Being 'good' was all fine when things were going well, but sometimes you had to get your hands dirty to get a job done. She knew Storm, Warren and the others wouldn't understand this, but perhaps she might be lucky enough to find an ally in the Wolverine.

Jack tore her eyes away from the X-men and looked back over to the President. An all too familiar face was walking up to him. Jack dropped any thoughts of consequences and started running.

* * *

The President watched as a man, dressed more regally than the others standing around, emerged from the centre of the envoy. He presumed he was the leader of the group. So far this was all going well. They appeared to be unarmed, they certainly hadn't done anything threatening, and now they were extending the hand of friendship in a very diplomatic manner. A meeting of leaders. 

The man stepped up onto the slightly raised stage and reached out a hand to the President, smiling. The President smiled back and held out his own hand in return. He was about to grasp his hand and shake it when someone familiar stood in front of him, between him and the alien leader.

Jack glowered at the alien leader, using her body as a shield to protect the President.

"You!" the alien hissed.

"Jack?" the President said with surprise.

"Leave them alone," she said, her voice as cold as her eyes.

"Or you'll do what, _Jack_," the alien leader said.

Jack looked behind her to the X-men. Storm was stood watching her, her face confused as everyone else's. Jack apologised to her mentally, then took her power. Storm suddenly staggered as she felt the tear of something leaving her body. Logan was there to catch her.

"This," Jack said, turning back to the leader, her eyes no longer green, but glowing white.

Overhead a storm cloud gathered and lightening streaked across the sky. Jack channelled it through her body, shooting bolts of electricity from her hands into him. Storm watched as he sailed high into the air.

"Quite a remarkable character when you get to know her well, isn't she?" A familiar voice said from behind her.

"Magneto!" Storm said. Logan had his claws out, but Magneto only had to hold up his hand to stop him.

Jack fired another bolt of lightening at the alien leader, pushing him further away. He flew so far from the landing site, that he wasn't even visible when he landed. Jack dropped her arms, satisfied with this, and the sky returned to blue and clear, her eyes to green.

"She stole my power!" Storm said.

"Borrowed, my dear, only borrowed," Magneto said, "you will be reassured to hear that it is only a temporary state, your powers will return."

"What game are you playing, Magneto?" Logan asked.

"Hers," Magneto said, nodding over to Jack who was marching towards the ranks of aliens that had lined up in front of the ship.

"You've got two options!" the young girl called to the fleet before her, "You get back on that ship and leave, or I'll have you all killed!"

Storm looked round the crowd that surrounded the alien fleet. Among the terrified looking humans she spotted Pyro, Callisto, Arclight and other members of the Brotherhood.

"What is going on Magneto?" Storm demanded, "They haven't done anything yet and they said they come in peace!"

"Jack disagreed," Magneto said, "And I should think she is the leading authority on such matters."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Logan asked.

"Why, she's one of them!" Magneto said, unable to contain a chuckle at their stunned faces.

* * *

Jack stood still before the fleet, one hand resting at her hip, the other held slightly out to her side, fisted and ready. 

"We are not surrendering to you," a man at the front of the fleet said.

"Then I will destroy you," Jack said calmly.

"You and what army?" he asked, removing the robe he wore to reveal much more fighting-friendly clothing and a number of weapons.

"This one," Jack said, entirely unconcerned by his little display of power.

Behind the alien fleet, their ship rose into the air of its own accord. As the aliens looked round in confusion, the Brotherhood made their move. Juggernaut crashed through crowds, knocking out anything that stood in his way, Callisto moved like lightening, killing the aliens before they even knew what had hit them, while all the others did what they did best.

Jack stood by and watched it all, not even participating in the demolition of the fleet. She didn't need to – her army were making quick work of them. Superior numbers and the element of surprise worked wonders against even the most powerful and well trained of armies.

Pyro sauntered up to her side. She looked up at him and nodded. He smirked down at her, then languidly held up a hand, sending out a jet of fire towards the ship. At first nothing happened, so Pyro gave the blast a little more juice, then like a spectacular firework display, the ship exploded into a burst of brilliant flares and sparkling shards of metal.

"Don't they look like the happy couple?" Logan muttered to Warren.

Warren knew the Wolverine was just trying to provoke a reaction from him, and he wasn't going to give him the pleasure. Still, as he looked over at Jack, wearing a hooded jacket under her dungarees that somehow made her seem much darker, he couldn't help thinking how comfortable she looked by Pyro's side.

* * *

Jack scanned over the decimated fleet. A strange mixture of emotions was stirring in her chest. She wasn't proud of what she had had done, but there was relief. Relief wasn't so far from happiness – was she happy about it? No, she decided, and reminded herself that sometimes you had to get your hands dirty. 

"You think you stand a chance, don't you?"

Jack's head snapped round to see the alien leader, slightly charred but still alive and well.

"You can't kill me _Jack_," he said.

"Maybe not, but I'll give it a good go," she replied.

He laughed, a cold and mirthless laugh.

"The only advantage you think you have is knowledge of this place," the man said, "but I've been watching your little hideout for days. I know this place inside out. Not even your friends, the _X-men_ will be a surprise. I know all their names…"

"What are you calling yourself then, so I might tell them yours," Jack said.

"Call me King," he replied, "But you will not get the chance to tell them."

He pulled out a gun and shot it at Jack. Jack reached for her shield but it wasn't in her pocket. For a brief moment panic filled her heart, gripping at it like a phantom hand, but the bullet bounced off something before it got within a metre of her.

The smirk fell from King's face as Rogue stepped up next to Jack.

"Looking for this?" Rogue asked, handing the shield generator to Jack.

"Thanks," Jack said.

King glared at them both.

"Your Mother's parlour tricks won't win you this fight," he said. Rogue suddenly stumbled as she felt something wrenching inside her.

"Fight it, Rogue," Jack said, "He's trying to take your power, but you can fight it. I know you know how."

"I know because you know," Rogue nodded, pulling her power back from King.

King looked extremely irritated, and Rogue thought she detected a hint of fear in his eyes.

"You'll have to set another date for killing me, sorry," Jack said.

"Tomorrow," King replied, "midday. That should give you enough time to say your goodbyes."

"Where?" Jack asked.

"I'll find you," King said, "And if you even think about running, I'll kill them all."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jack said, "I'm done running."

* * *

Storm was particularly angry at Jack and berated her, through expressing her relief that she was alive, for not talking to the X-men first. Jack took all this disappointment and anger with a stony face, not rising to it, not shouting back. 

"Do you have nothing to say for yourself?" Storm shouted.

"Only that I can explain myself, and will, if you will calm down a little," Jack replied, "If you don't think you can hear it from me, talk to Rogue. She'll tell you."

She went through similar motions with Hank, but finally lost her cool when Warren decided it was his turn to have a go.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

"I've told Storm, I've told Hank, I have my reasons, and I will give them when you are prepared to actually listen," she said angrily.

"I'm not talking about what you did, I'm talking about the way you did it. Why did you trust them, side with them over us?" Warren asked, a little angrily, like he was trying to contain it.

"Because I had to ask them to do something that I didn't want to have you do!" Jack snapped, "It's not that I don't trust you, I just didn't think you would understand."

"Well, you were right about that," Warren replied coldly, "I don't understand at all. All those people Jack, and you just had them killed."

"I gave them a chance!" she said, her voice rising to a shout, "I gave them the opportunity to walk away."

"I don't see why you had to kill them in the first place, that's not what we do, not the example we want to set. There are other ways of dealing with problems, better ways…"

"He's going to kill me, Warren," Jack said bluntly, "King. He's come here for that purpose. This world, and its people are only obstacles that stand between him and his target. Tomorrow he will come here and he will kill me, and when he's done it wouldn't surprise me if he went on to destroy half the city."

"Why?" Warren asked.

"Because he's destructive and has no respect for life," Jack said.

"No, I meant why is he going to try to kill you?"

Jack laughed hollowly.

"There's no _try_ about it Warren, he will kill me, but I intend to take him down with me," she said, "King chose his name because that's what he is, the King, of our planet. He gets his right to the throne from his power – the ability to take on other people's powers.

"I have that power too. The green energy, the shield, they're just gadgets that my Mother gave me, to make it look like I had ordinary powers, so I wouldn't be killed as a child. Anyone carrying the little shield generator and wearing these bracelets could have my 'powers'.

"Because I have the same power I could potentially challenge his right to rule. Normally I wouldn't have been bothered, but King is a terrible ruler and my people live in poverty and pain every day of their lives. It nearly killed me to abandon them, but I had to. I came here, a place very similar to my home, to escape King until I was strong enough to defeat him. Unfortunately he's found me and followed me here.

"King will kill me tomorrow, because he has everything to lose. He would go to any length to retain his throne, and so will absorb huge amounts of powers from people, to the absolute limit of what he can carry without killing himself. To fight him I will have to go one step further, and the power will completely fry my brain. I have to kill myself to kill him."

"There's a limit on how much you can absorb?"

"Yes, I'm like the reverse of Rogue. When she takes powers it hurts the other person, when I take powers it hurts me. I had to do a number on Magneto earlier to get him listening. I took about five powers and held them for all of twenty seconds. It put enough pressure on my mind to burst a blood vessel. With training I could become stronger, have more endurance, which was why I came here – to train, but now I've run out of time."

"Isn't there another way – we could all fight him, beat him with superior numbers," Warren said.

Jack shook her head.

"With that much power he would just pick you off one by one," she said, "I won't have him hurt you."

They stood in silence for a moment. For once, Jack was the one to break it.

"So, no 'glad to see you're alive'?" she asked.

Warren laughed a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head as he turned away.

"I'm incredibly glad," he said, "But you've changed, Jack, how can a week unconscious change a person so much."

"I've not changed," Jack said, "your perception of me has just changed."

"A week ago you were from England, now you're from another planet," Warren said.

"The way some of you talk it's one and the same," Jack said with a shrug.

"Why did you lie like that?" Warren asked, "You've deceived everyone here."

It hurt him the most. Was everything she had said and done just an act? Did the person he thought he might love not exist?

"I never lied, I just let people believe what they wanted," Jack said, "Rogue said I sounded British, so I said I was British. I thought it would be easier that way. I never counted on…"

"What?" Warren asked.

"Nothing…" Jack said, turning away as a silent tear ran down her cheek.

She had never counted on caring so much about the X-men. Particularly Rogue and Warren. Rogue would understand, Jack had made sure of that, but there was no way she could change Warren's mind if he set it against her.

Warren watched her struggling with her emotions, as she sniffed slightly, trying to keep it all bottled up inside. Were his feelings for her being reciprocated? There was only one way to find out.

In his mind's eye, he took three large strides to her side and cut off her sobs with a kiss. Her tears mingled with his face but he didn't care, because just for one moment she was his, in his arms, and all the hardship and suffering couldn't come between them.

But the Warren in his mind was much braver than he was in real life. In real life he didn't move, didn't speak, and she looked up at him through sad eyes before turning and walking away.

* * *

Please review! xXx 


	21. The Last Battle

Hello there! It is two in the morning here in Britain and for some reason I can't sleep, so I'm posting this up for all of you lovely readers :)

Rather long chapter today, but the next one is likely to be fairly short. I could have spread them a little more evenly, but I wanted this one to end at a certain point (mwahaha, evil cliffhanger!)

Thanks for the reviews as always, and I can't wait to hear what you think about this one!

* * *

Storm had never been so angry. She was angry that Jack had taken matters into her own hands, angry that the X-men reputation was damaged, but mostly angry that Magneto knew more than she did, and he wasn't just going to tell her, he was revelling in the fact that she had to come to him for information.

"Jealousy is not becoming of you, Ororo," the master of magnetism said, a smug little smile on his face.

"I have much bigger things to worry about right now than jealousy," Storm said, "Like the total mess you and your Brotherhood made in the park in front of thousands of people, apparently unprovoked."

"It wasn't unprovoked," Magneto said.

"The fact that one of my students is apparently an alien from another planet, but didn't care to mention that to anyone," Storm ignored him, "and then there's the fact that I have you in my office, and your cronies hanging around outside somewhere nearby, which is never a comforting thought, and no way of telling who is telling the truth!"

She had never missed the Professor and Jean more than she did right now. They'd have sorted through this mess in a matter of seconds.

"Why don't you do as Jack said and go and talk to Rogue," Magneto suggested.

"Never thought I'd say this, but I agree," Logan said.

Storm looked over to Hank and Mystique. Mystique shrugged and nodded, Hank just sighed before saying it couldn't hurt.

"Ok, where is she?" Storm asked.

* * *

Rogue was sat with Kitty in the living room, half watching some programme that was on telly. The first thing they had all done on arriving back at the mansion was crash out on the sofa, too shocked and confused to do much else. She was struggling with intense emotions and a strong desire to cry after everything she had seen. Rogue wanted to talk to Storm, to tell her what she knew, but given Storm's current state of agitation, she thought it would probably only annoy her more. 

So instead, she sat on the sofa, almost completely zoned out, trying not to replay the images over and over in her mind. Kitty had put whatever was on the telly on, but she didn't think anyone was particularly interested. It looked like some sort of period drama – lots of people in fancy dresses. She closed her eyes, letting the sounds wash over her. It was funny how some statements drifted into her ears more clearly than others. She could hear nothing but a mumble of the conversation Bobby and Peter were having next to her, but heard quite clearly when Siryn asked one of the other kids if there was any chocolate ice cream left.

The next statement that she heard was Jimmy telling someone that she was in the living room. Rogue sat up, knowing that she was the 'she' they were talking about.

"Rogue," Storm said, walking in followed closely by Hank, "Can you come to my office for a moment, I'd like to ask you something."

Kitty looked across at Rogue with a questioning face, but Rogue just shrugged. As she walked out of the room with Storm, one last statement caught the attention of her ears.

"A door once opened may be walked through both ways," a woman on the telly said.

Rogue wondered if that was true. It would certainly make explaining a lot easier.

Kitty got bored of watching telly soon after Rogue left.

"I'm going to find Jack," she announced, standing up off the sofa.

"Kitty, Storm said to leave her alone," Bobby said.

"Storm also says to go to bed at ten, do you think I listen to that?" Kitty retorted disdainfully, before heading upstairs.

Bobby and Peter exchanged glances.

"Do you think we should try and stop her?" Peter asked.

"She'd just walk straight through us," Bobby pointed out, "Besides, Jack wouldn't hurt her, would she?"

He sounded uncertain. Everyone was a little uncertain about Jack right now.

* * *

Jack sat in her room trying to think of a plan for tomorrow. She was aware that Storm had forbidden the rest of the school from talking to her, but though the Headmistress meant it as a punishment, to give her time to think about what she had done, she had actually done her a favour. It gave her the peace and quiet necessary to think things through. 

She was having trouble keeping her mind on one track though. Every time she tried to decide whose powers would make best combination to absorb she kept dwelling on Warren and how upset she was that he would probably never talk to her again. The fact that she would be dead in less than twenty-four hours didn't make this sit any more comfortably with her either.

Jack had had to live with the thought that she would probably die young since she was old enough to understand it. She thought she had come to terms with that, but suddenly she was very afraid. She was afraid of never seeing Warren again…

"Snap out of it Jack," She chastised herself, "Since when have you been sentimental?"

"You know, they say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

Jack looked up to see Kitty poking her head through the door, quite literally. The rest of her body followed through and she came and sat next to her.

"I thought Storm told you to leave me alone?" Jack asked with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, well, you know I have a penchant for breaking the rules," Kitty said.

Jack smiled a little uneasily.

"So," Kitty said at length, "How are you?"

"What?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"Well, it seems to me that everyone has got so carried away with all this 'alien' business that they've forgotten you were in a coma for a week. I just thought I'd see if you were doing ok."

"I'm fine," Jack said, "Tired, and a bit achy, but fine."

"What were you being sentimental about?" Kitty asked with a grin.

"I… Nothing much," Jack said, "Just trying not to be bothered that everyone's mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," Kitty said with a shrug, "And Storm was looking a lot calmer when she came to ask Rogue about something."

"She's talking to Rogue?" Jack asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Yeah, wanted to ask her about something or other, I dunno," Kitty shrugged again.

"Well, that's good," Jack said, "But it still won't change the fact that…"

"What?" Kitty prompted as Jack trailed off.

"That the impression people here have of me, the person they think I am, is based on a lie," Jack finished.

It didn't matter really, not if she was just going to be dead by this time tomorrow, but she didn't want the last thoughts the X-men she held so dear to have of her to be bad ones.

"Well, I don't think that, and I bet Rogue doesn't either," Kitty said, "And Bobby and Peter, they're just stupid boys, so what are you worried about?"

Jack just looked down to the floor and Kitty suddenly realised. She clapped her hand over her mouth to contain a girlish shriek.

"You're upset because of Professor Worthingon!" she said.

Jack looked up at her, surprised and a little embarrassed.

"I _knew_ it!" Kitty said triumphantly, "You've had this little thing going on with him ever since you got here. Oh you should so tell him how you feel, because boys are dense and they can't work these things out for themselves, and you know he's so shy he's probably not brave enough to say himself, but he…"

"Kitty…" Jack said, trying to interrupt her speech.

"…totally loves you. You should have seen how cut up he was about leaving you here when we had to go to the President. He was all angry and aggressive…"

"Kitty!" Jack said, fighting a grin.

"…to this guy who was badmouthing us, and I've never _ever_ seen him like that. Oh I'm so excited! You should go tell him right now, I bet he wouldn't stay mad or upset at you for long. You are going to be so cute!"

"KITTY!" Jack yelled.

Kitty jumped with surprise and fell through the seat she was sitting on.

"Sorry," Kitty said, "I've just had too much excitement today…"

"I couldn't tell," Jack said dryly.

* * *

"Jack seemed to think you could explain everything that happened today," Storm said to Rogue. 

Rogue looked round at the people in the room. Alongside Storm was Professor McCoy, Logan and Mystique. Also in the room was Magneto, who had made himself very at home behind Storm's desk. Rogue fought her hatred for the man. He had tried to kill her, he shouldn't even be in the room, she thought. But Jack had trusted him, allied with him to destroy the fleet that had come to destroy her. Magneto had brought her friend this far alive, and for that she was grateful to him.

"Can you try telling us?" Storm continued, "I know it's tricky organising your absorbed memories, but anything you can tell us would be useful."

"I won't tell you," Rogue said, "I'll show you."

She walked up closer to Storm, removing her gloves.

_Please let this work… _she thought.

Storm looked at her nervously as she settled her hands either side of her face, not yet touching her skin.

"Trust me," Rogue said, and closed her palms around Storm's face.

Logan jumped away from the wall in surprise but as he went to drag Rogue away Storm held out her hand, telling him to stop. They sank to the floor together as memories flooded from Rogue's mind into Storm's. After what felt to those in the room like an age, Rogue broke away from Storm, both gasping for air, tears running down their cheeks.

Storm closed her eyes as the memories took over her mind, her eyelids fluttering as she took deep ragged breaths. Logan went to Rogue's side and helped her up, as Hank went to Storm.

When Storm finally opened her eyes again she looked over at Rogue and nodded. Rogue nodded back and left the room. As soon as she closed the door she burst into tears and ran upstairs to find Jack.

* * *

"What did she do?" Hank asked as he sat Storm down in her chair. 

Magneto had vacated it and was standing at the desk alongside Logan and Mystique. All were leaning in closely, curious to hear what had transpired.

"She was showing me memories, forcing them into my mind somehow. I…" Storm faltered, "I guess whatever link she makes with people when she touches them can be used both ways."

"What did you see?" Magneto asked.

"A woman," Storm said, "She was poor, and looked weary. She was running from somewhere, or someone, she had a little girl."

Storm closed her eyes and continued.

"They were running, but they didn't get away fast enough. The woman stopped, sending the girl on, the girl didn't want to go but she ran and hid. The woman turned back and he was there, the man from the envoy today, the only one left. He grabbed her and shook her, but she just shook her head, tears running down her face. So he killed her. She wouldn't tell him where her little girl was so he executed her in cold blood."

Storm opened her eyes again, tears running down her own cheeks at the intense emotional ride she was on.

"They came here for Jack, they came to kill her," she said to Hank and Logan, "The man who calls himself King is here to kill Jack just as he killed her Mother, because she is the only person alive who stands a chance of killing him."

* * *

Rogue knocked on Jack's door, before letting herself in. Kitty had already gone off somewhere else so they were alone. 

"I showed them," she said, "I showed them what you showed me."

Jack stood up and walked over to her.

"And they understand why I had to do what I did?"

"I don't know, I didn't hang around long enough to see," Rogue admitted.

"But you showed them everything?" Jack asked.

"Everything," Rogue confirmed, "Everything except the last little bit."

She started to sob. Jack cautiously put her arm round her, and Rogue started crying in earnest into her shoulder.

"What didn't you tell them?" Jack asked, trying to sooth her friend as best she could.

"I didn't… I couldn't…" Rogue cried, "I didn't tell them that you would have to die."

"Rogue," Jack said, shaking her by the shoulders gently, "Rogue, listen to me. It's ok. I've know that I would end up dead young since I was five years old. I'm not afraid. I came to terms with it a long time ago."

"But there has to be another way!" Rogue said, "You should run, far away."

"I can't do that, Rogue," Jack said calmly.

"Jack, you're my best friend, you're like a sister to me, I can't sit here and watch you kill yourself, you have to get out!"

"Rogue, if I go anywhere far away King will come here and kill you all," Jack said, "I can't let you suffer because of my problems. I should never have brought this fight here, and I will end it tomorrow."

"We can help you," Rogue said, "Let us fight with you."

"He's too powerful," Jack shook her head, "He would pick you off one by one."

"But if he's so powerful, why did he run away when faced with just me and you?" Rogue asked.

"I…" Jack didn't really know, "I think he wants me to be afraid. It will hurt him to fight me. He's stronger and more experienced, but it still won't be an easy fight for him. He's just trying to soften me up so I'm easier to defeat."

"You're not afraid?" Rogue asked through a sniff.

"No, I'm not," Jack said, "So don't cry for me. I'll be ok, in this life and the next."

Rogue nodded, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Rogue?" Bobby called from outside.

"Go on," Jack said, pushing her gently towards the door, "Don't let Bobby get worried about you now."

Rogue nodded again, making a more concerted effort to dry her puffy eyes before she went outside. As Jack closed the door behind her she sank to the floor, emotion overcoming her at last as tears ran freely down her face.

* * *

After a fitful night's sleep, Jack found herself sat on the cold metal table in the medical rooms below the mansion. Hank was giving her a check-up, so that if there was anything outstandingly wrong with her then he could try to remedy it before midday. 

"Are the people of your planet all blessed with gifts?" Hank asked conversationally.

"Yeah," Jack said, "We're a bit like a race of Mutants. Everyone has powers of varying degrees of strength. I can imagine in a few generations time, once the Mutant gene becomes more common, the human race will be even closer to my race than it is now."

"So your true power is the ability to take on other people's powers," Hank said, "and this King has the same power?"

"Yes," Jack said as he took a blood sample.

"Is there any limit to that?" he asked, examining a sheet of results the computer was printing out.

"No, not really," Jack lied, "So you have to get everyone as far away from me as possible once I've decided whose powers to take. It's not going to be a pretty fight."

"Why do you have to decide?" Hank asked as he steered her towards the full body scanner, "If there's no limit to it, just take everyone's."

"There's no point having loads," Jack lied again, "You can only use so many at once without getting confused."

"I see," Hank said, activating the scanner.

Jack lay there patiently as he conducted his medical investigation. It was pointless, but if it made him feel better then she was happy to play along. She had several hours yet before she had to have made a decision about powers and tactics.

As she emerged from the tubular scanning device she sat up smiling, but Hank was frowning at a computer screen.

"What's up?" she asked, walking over to him.

The image on the screen was a brain scan, though that meant nothing to Jack, who knew about as much about medicine as she did about nuclear physics. Not a lot.

"I took a scan of your brain when you were in the coma, to try and determine what was causing it. When I did it then it showed up as all normal," Hank explained, "But now it's showing signs of severe trauma all along the frontal lobe that weren't there before."

He traced the signs with a pencil and Jack closed her eyes, sighing in a resigned fashion.

"Ok, I lied," she said, "I've got into a bad habit of doing that lately," she joked lamely, "There is a limit. I can only carry so much power without causing damage to my brain. The pressure of all that power causes blood vessels to burst. If I took in too much power or held it for too long it would kill me."

"But this King is a lot older than you," Hank said, "Does that mean he is stronger than you?"

"Yes," Jack replied.

"But that means fighting him will kill you."

Jack just nodded.

"I hope to take him down with me," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hank asked gently.

"I didn't want you fussing," Jack said.

"Who else knows about this?" Hank asked.

"Rogue," Jack said, "And Warren… and I would prefer it if it stayed that way," she added, before walking out.

* * *

When Jack came to Storm's office for a meeting, everyone who had been milling around in there sat up. 

"Right," Jack said, "I have an idea. Magneto's done me the hugest favour by not going world domination crazy in a hurry – by staying out of the news for the last few weeks he's made himself and his Brotherhood invisible to King. That means if I use their powers I still retain some element of surprise."

"Why don't we all just fight together?" Storm asked.

"No," Jack said, "I've already been through this with Rogue. It won't work because he will just pick you off one by one. I don't want you getting hurt for me, so my best bet is to face him head on. It's my fight, I brought it here, let me finish it. I can comfortably handle five or six powers, so now I just need to decide whose are best to take on."

She didn't look Rogue or Hank in the eye as she said this. Warren was the only X–man who wasn't present in the room, so she didn't have to worry about him, but her heart still wrenched at the thought of his absence. She hoped she would at least get the chance to say goodbye.

"I'm thinking Storm and Pyro are the most powerful, for pure offensive powers, and though King knows about Storm's ability, Pyro's ought to come as a bit of a surprise," Jack thought out loud, "I'll take Logan's for obvious reasons, Magneto's for some defence as well as offence, Bobby's, and a lesser power that could still come in handy. Callisto, which of the Brotherhood are level two?"

Callisto, who was stood with Magneto and Pyro, the only members of the Brotherhood present, thought for a second.

"How about Arclight?"

"Yes, that's a good idea," Jack said, "So, Arclight, Magneto, Pyro, Bobby, Storm and Logan. If you don't mind of course, that I borrow your powers?"

Storm smiled and Magneto chuckled.

"Of course not," Storm said.

* * *

"Is there no other way?" Hank asked Jack after the meeting finished. 

"Believe me I wish there was," Jack said, just a little sadly.

"Are you sure we can't help?"

Jack shook her head.

"I should never have come here," she said, "This place, this planet, I've brought my problems here while you have enough of your own. America needs its X-men, who am I to take you away from it?"

* * *

Midday rolled around far to quick. Jack decided she would fight King in the gardens while everyone else waited inside, ready to retreat into the escape tunnels if necessary. She had also said to Hank that if she died before King was killed, that they should try to take him down straight away while he was in his weakened state from fighting her. Hank nodded, understanding, before pulling her into a great bear hug. 

"Be careful Jack," Kitty said, "and kick his ass for me!"

Bobby and Peter wished her good luck, Storm hugged her, telling her to be careful, Magneto merely nodded. Rogue gave her a long hug, whispering 'goodbye' in her ear, retreating behind Bobby before she could get too emotional.

As the time ticked over to twelve, Jack absorbed the powers of her choice. Bobby and Logan buckled at the strange sensation, but everyone else was used to it. Pyro handed Jack one of his wrist contraptions with a brief smirk.

"Thanks," she said to him, but she meant it to everyone. They were all there to support her. All except Warren she noted with a sad smile.

She caught Hank's eye one last time as she walked out. He nodded, and Jack walked out. She was a little way down the path when she heard someone behind her calling.

"Jack, wait!"

Jack turned round to see Warren running after her. He stopped just in front of her, looking down at her almost nervously.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment, "I never should have judged you before I knew the whole story, and I'm sorry."

Jack smiled happily for the first time since she woke up from the coma as he looked down at his feet, uncertain what to do or say next.

"You don't have to apologise," Jack said, "You had every right to be mad at me."

He looked up at her and she wrapped her arms round his neck in an affectionate hug.

"I never found out if I was a vodka and coke sort of girl," she said with a slight sniff of tears threatening to escape.

"Well, I'll have to find you in the afterlife and take you out for a drink," Warren said, stepping back from her.

He raised a hand to her face, gently brushing away the single tear that had fallen. Jack thought of what Kitty had said, and of the fact that she probably had less than fifteen minutes left alive, then did something very daring. She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him.

Their lips were locked together for only a few seconds but it was long enough for Warren to pour everything he felt for her into the kiss. He didn't ever want to stop, but she broke away.

"I have to go," she said, a little breathlessly, "Please get somewhere safe, and don't look back."

Warren nodded, closed his eyes and turned away. Jack watched him walk half way up to the mansion before she carried on where she was heading, preparing for her last battle.

* * *

"Why does he look so upset?" Storm asked Hank as Warren walked back into the mansion. 

"Because he knows Jack isn't going to survive this fight," Hank said.

"_What_?" Storm said.

"She intends to take King down with her, but be ready," Hank said in an emotionless voice, "In case she doesn't manage it."

* * *

Jack stood before the graves of Scott, Jean and Professor Xavier. She had never met any of them, but understood them to be great people. She wondered if the X-men would honour her by burying her along side them. 

"Ready to take your place with them, _Jack_?" King asked from behind her.

He was floating above her, having apparently absorbed the ability to fly.

"Yes," Jack said, brewing a storm cloud above them, using the wind currents to raise herself to his level, "But I'm taking you with me."

* * *

Rogue stood by the window, trying not to watch as Jack and King fought, but unable to take her eyes away from them. She couldn't believe that this was the only way. Fate had a cruel sense of humour. If only she could do something to help Jack… 

An image suddenly flashed before her eyes. That micro expression that King had displayed when she fought him, taking back her power. That uncertainty, that fear…

Jack had dismissed his retreat as tactics, but what if he had been afraid? Not afraid of Jack, but afraid of her…

Rogue squinted at the figures in the distance. They were flying, above the memorial of Jean, Scott and the Professor. If Rogue could reach them maybe she could end it before it killed Jack.

Rogue walked over to Warren.

"I'm sorry Professor," she said.

"What for?" Warren asked, looking up at her through sad eyes.

"This," Rogue replied, putting her hands on his face.

He gasped as the life was sucked out of him and into her. She screamed in pain as a pair of wings grew out of her back.

* * *

Jack shot a jet of ice at King but he had anticipated that, blocking it with a stream of fire. What he didn't anticipate was the fire she sent back at him from her other hand. He scowled at her, the burn blistering the skin on his face. It was a blow, but he was still far from beaten and Jack was lagging behind already. Her head felt like it was going to explode. 

"No X-man has that ability," King said, "So you do have some tricks up your sleeve."

He flew up close to her, pushing at her with his own fire against her ice.

"It won't help you," he said, pushing harder.

His fire was overpowering her ice very quickly and the strain of trying to push against him was accelerating the haemorrhaging in her brain. As the blood started to drip from her nose, Jack pulled two lampposts from the ground, forming them into sheets of metal like a shield in front of her.

"That's a new one too," she said, launching the sheets at him.

King easily dodged round.

"You can't win, _Jack_," King said, "You're not strong enough."

He launched a psychic attack on her mind, further weakening her. She clutched her hands to her head, her face screwed up in agony.

"You are weak," King said, "You have no strength over me, no stamina over me, I don't know why you even try to wear me down, you have nothing over me!"

Jack looked up at him through blurry eyes. He was right, but he was also weakening. His eyes were losing focus and tears were forming in their corners. She only hoped Hank would be able to finish him off.

As she continued staring obstinately in his direction, Jack saw an angel appear behind him – an angel with dark hair with two white stripes.

"You're wrong," she said, straightening up, removing her hands from her head, "I have my friends."

She clapped her hands together, and King was knocked backwards into Rogue's waiting arms. She put her hands to his face, sucking the life from him. Her energy draining power weakened him much faster and as Rogue let him go, Jack finished him off with a large metal spike.

As King fell to the floor dead, she looked up at Rogue, giving her a weak smile and the thumbs up, before falling to the floor.

* * *

Please review! (Oh, and let me know if all the breaks are in the right place... I think I got them all right, but it's a bit of a pain having to put them in manually rather than just pressing the nice shiny button!) Right, I'm going to sleep now at last lol, nighty night xx 


	22. Choice

Hehe... I said this would be shorter, but then I got this idea and had to run with it and now it is almost as long as the last chapter! Oh well... the next one is definitely shorter (only a dainty little 1500 words) so there we go.

Reviews appreciated as always! I'm so glad you guys have liked this story :) :)

Hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!

Just a small note, but this chapter features Rogue's boyfriend from the first movie and I couldn't remember his name. For some reason I have this feeling it's David, but I can't remember. If that's wrong just let me know and I'll change it!

Update: I deleted this chapter and resubmitted it in hopes that it might make it show up on the site, as before the story only appeared to have 21 chapters, so sorry to all the people who get alerts and have now had this alert twice!

* * *

Magneto did them all a favour by staying out of trouble. His Brotherhood stayed in their hideout and caused no problems, even though the summit went on after an official statement from the President explained the events that had happened involving the aliens. He didn't tell the entire truth. It was more of a cover-up. 

Hank and Storm sat in on the summit as the representatives argued over Mutant rights and regulations. In the end they agreed on a taskforce of scientists who would work on methods to control and contain Mutants known to be dangerous, rather than all Mutants. As long as you didn't break the law, the new system promised to leave you in peace. It was a positive move that Storm and Hank were happy with.

Warren stayed in his room a lot, as did Bobby. Kitty took it upon herself to be strong and supportive for everyone else, but anyone with fairly good hearing knew she cried herself to sleep most nights.

It was Logan who answered the door, some four or five days later, to see a man and a woman dressed in robes similar to those worn by King and his envoy.

"You're looking for Jack, right?" he asked.

They both nodded together. Logan didn't know whether he should trust them, but his gut wasn't sending him any warnings, and he could usually trust his gut.

"Well, you're in the right place," he said, "But you're not going to like this…"

They followed him indoors wordlessly.

* * *

Storm ran her fingers over Rogue's hair, tracing the white streaks absentmindedly. The young girl was in a coma. Hank said absorbing King's energy along with all the powers inside him had sent her body and mind into shock. Many wires were attached to her forehead, reading her brain activity. A computer near her bedside was reading a complete brainstorm. If it weren't for the very shallow breaths and the occasional fluttering of her eyelids, Storm would have believed Rogue to be dead. 

Unlike when Jack was hit with the Cure, Rogue wasn't slowly getting worse so she was in no danger of dying, but she wasn't showing any sign of getting any better either. Storm was beginning to question if she would ever wake up, and if she didn't, how long would it be acceptable to leave her before they pulled the plug on the life-support.

The hiss of the door sliding open pulled Storm out of her morbid thoughts. She looked up, expecting to see Hank, but Logan walked through the door, followed by two strangers dressed much like King's envoy. Storm stood up, but the ill feeling she had experienced when around King didn't resurface.

"They're here for Jack," Logan said.

"Have you told them…" Storm began but Logan shook his head.

"I told them they weren't going to like it," he said.

"Follow me," Storm said to the two aliens, "I'll take you to her."

She went to walk out of the room, but the woman had walked over to Rogue, examining her closely.

"Don't touch her skin," Storm warned.

The woman merely looked up and smiled before speaking directly into Storm's mind.

_I won't._

Storm gaped. It had been so long since she had felt the presence of another in her mind. Without the Professor and Jean around there were no psychics in the school.

The woman smiled again and put her hands either side of Rogue's head. She closed her eyes, bending her head a little closer to the unconscious girl as she concentrated. Storm watched the woman for a moment, but her attention was distracted by the screen beside Rogue's bed. The reading was slowly being reduced to almost normal brain activity levels. As it dropped to normal, Rogue suddenly sat up, eyes snapping open and gasped. Storm rushed to her side, as did Logan.

"Rogue!" Storm said, laying a firm hand on the girls shoulder.

The reassurance of touch and the familiar sound of Storm's voice calmed Rogue's initial panic. The large gulps of air she was taking became slower and more controlled as her eyes stopped darting around everywhere.

"Rogue?" Storm looked into the girl's eyes for a sign of recognition.

"How did I get here?" Rogue asked after a moment.

* * *

Rogue was in a no-place. She was stood on something, but it was something she couldn't see. She didn't really want to move for fear of stepping off into the nothingness. The darkness was almost absolute, but for a small amount of light she seemed to be generating. How had she got here? And where exactly was 'here' anyway? 

"You should really consider revamping this place," Jack's voice sounded from somewhere nearby.

Rogue turned round to see her friend sat on something in mid air. She had a half smile on her face and an amused twinkle in her eye.

"What is this place?" Rogue asked, "Where are we?"

"Inside your head," Jack replied.

"What?" Rogue said, "how can we be inside my head?"

"Well, it's your head, you have every right to be here," Jack shrugged.

"And you're here because?" Rogue asked.

"You absorbed me," Jack shrugged again, "So part of me is in your head too."

"Is it… is it really you though?" Rogue asked, "The one that is inside your own head?"

"Now you're confusing me," Jack grinned.

"Well, when I wake up, get out of my own mind, will the you that isn't in my mind remember this?"

"No," Jack said, "I'm like your own mini version of the real me. What I do in here stays in here, but I'm exactly like my real self."

"Does that mean everyone else I've absorbed will be here too?" Rogue asked.

"That's right, kid, we're all in here," Logan's voice said.

Rogue span around again to see him standing there, leaning against something as he smoked a cigar.

"Jack's right though, you really need to fix the décor," he said.

"How?" Rogue asked.

"It's your head!" Jack said, "Just imagine us someplace you'd rather be."

Rogue closed her eyes and thought of the mansion. When she opened her eyes they were in the living room, Jack perched on the back of the sofa, Logan leaning against a doorframe.

"Better," Jack said, "So who else have you touched? I figure Bobby's got to show up at some point."

"Yeah," Rogue said, looking round at the closed doors. One started to open, but it wasn't Bobby who walked through.

"Magneto?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow in Rogue's direction.

"Long story," Rogue said, looking for John.

Magneto was rarely without his pyrokinetic crony, and given that she had absorbed him once it was likely to be true of the Magneto in her mind too. True to form Pyro sauntered in right behind, flicking his Zippo lighter.

"What's with the party?" Pyro asked.

"My dear girl," Magneto said, looking round at the mansion walls with distaste, "You could have imagined us on top of Mount Everest and you chose to place us in the mansion?"

"It was the first place that came into my head," Rogue said, "And besides, I like it here."

"You might like it better on top of a mountain – imagine the views," Magneto said.

"Wouldn't it be a little cold?" Rogue asked.

"Only if you want it to be," Magneto said, a hint of challenge in his voice, "You can do anything, it is your mind after all."

"Shut up Magneto," Jack said, "She's happy here, so she can stay here, it is here mind after all."

"Who asked you?" Pyro snapped.

"If anyone had asked me I would have said to teleport you two inside a volcano," Bobby said, walking in.

He ignored John's aggressive step forwards and walked straight over to Rogue. He wrapped his arms round her and went to kiss her. Instinctively, Rogue pulled away.

"I don't want to hurt you," she said.

Bobby smiled at her.

"Then don't," he said, "Your mind, your rules."

He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before pulling back and slipping his hand into hers.

"I can really do anything?" Rogue asked.

"Pretty much," Storm replied, appearing on the scene.

"It's getting crowded in here," Magneto commented, that same challenge in his voice.

Rogue didn't rise to it, but she was starting to wonder. She could do anything at all? Like transport them all to the bottom of the ocean? She thought about it for a moment and was shocked to see the scenery change around them.

Suddenly she was standing on a sandy seabed with miles between her and the surface. Jack was sat on a stray boulder that had probably been resting at the bottom of the sea for centuries, becoming steadily more encrusted with all manner of shellfish and plants. Logan was leaning against a cliff face.

In a brief moment of panic Rogue thought she was going to drown but she reminded herself that she had had the power to put herself and everyone else down here, so she therefore had the power to breath underwater. Did she even need to breathe at all? Probably not.

"Interesting choice," Jack grinned with amusement as Pyro tried to light a flame with increasing frustration, only managing to create a few bubbles every time.

"Why don't you take us to Anchorage?" a new voice suggested, "I thought that was where you wanted to go."

Everyone turned to face the newcomer. Rogue recognised him, though she doubted any of the others would.

"David," she said.

"Who?" Logan asked.

"Her boyfriend," David replied, "At least, I was," he added, nodding towards Bobby and Rogue's interlaced fingers.

"Is that everyone?" Jack asked.

"It is now," Warren answered.

Once again Jack raised an eyebrow at Rogue, who grinned back, slightly embarrassed.

"Can we please have a change of scenery?" Pyro asked impatiently.

"What's your problem?" Jack asked, "This place is kinda fun."

She was no longer sitting on the rock, but swimming around just above them. Rogue tried moving but found the water to have an air-like thinness to it. Trying to swim would be like trying to fly.

_But then, you can do anything,_ she reminded herself.

She tried to think of a new, better place to be, but her mind kept travelling to the strange city she saw only in her dreams, Jack's home. Before she could stop herself, the water faded away and the city replaced it. Jack performed an elegant flip in mid air, landing on her feet next to Warren. She met Rogue's eyes briefly as the others looked round with confusion.

"What's this place?" Bobby asked.

"Just a place I've seen in my dreams," Rogue replied.

"Then the memory must belong to one of us," Magneto said.

"Why?" Rogue asked.

"Because we are your dreams," Magneto replied.

"I pity her if she dreams of you," Logan muttered.

"Better the dreams of a genius than a mindless animal," Magneto said.

"Hey, who are you calling 'mindless' bub?" Logan said, ejecting his claws, pointing them threateningly at Magneto.

Magneto turned to him, using his ability to manipulate the claws so Logan could no longer moving.

"Only the idiot who forgets every time that his claws of metal are redundant against the master of magnetism," he said, separating out the claws to cause Logan pain.

"Stop it!" Rogue yelled, wishing Magneto didn't have his power.

Suddenly Logan dropped to the floor, and Magneto stared at his hand curiously.

"You've taken my power," he said.

Rogue looked to Jack, but she just shook her head and nodded towards her.

"Me?" Rogue questioned.

"Well, you can do _anything_," Magneto said.

Rogue looked down at her gloved hands and imagined the gloves away. She was just about to turn and take Bobby's hand when someone else appeared in the group, someone Rogue didn't recognise.

"Come with me, child, I'll show you the way out of here," a kindly female voice said.

She was wearing robes like a nun, and her face was smiling and kind. Rogue looked from her to her gloveless hands and back.

"But I don't want to leave," she said, "I can do anything here."

"This isn't real," the woman said, looking round at their location curiously, "Would you leave your friends in the real world behind? The real Bobby? The real Logan? Would you let them suffer so you can stay here in this false realm?"

"Don't listen to her, Rogue," Magneto said, "You are a goddess! She is merely an intruder. Expel her, banish her from your kingdom and live your days out here in glory."

"He hopes to deceive you, child," the woman said, "his shadow is as manipulative as his reality, don't listen."

"But he speaks the truth!" Rogue said, "I am all powerful. I can touch!"

"But it's just an illusion, Rogue," Bobby said.

"I could be happy with your illusion!" Rogue said.

"Could you?" he asked.

Rogue was taken aback. She thought he would be happy to have her here and able to touch him.

"I…" she stammered.

"They are nothing more than shadows, child, they aren't real," the woman said.

She put her hands to her head and they began to fade. Rogue's hand passed straight through Bobby.

"Stop it!" she shrieked.

"Come with me, back to the real world, and all your friends will be there waiting for you," the woman said.

She held out her hand. Rogue wasn't sure. She could touch here, she could be anywhere she wanted.

_But you will never meet anyone new,_ the woman spoke into her head, _you will never see Kitty and Jubilee again. You will never age, you will never change. You will forever be the same. Is that what you want?_

Rogue shook her head, stepped forwards and took the woman's hand. With a gasp she opened her eyes to find herself inside a medical room in the mansion.

"Rogue?" Storm said.

"How did I get here?" she asked.

* * *

Hank said it was probably the fact that she had taken on Logan's healing factor that had kept her alive, stopping her brain from completely destroying itself, but that didn't mean that Jack would necessarily make a full recovery. She lay on a bed in much the same way as Rogue had, unmoving and barely breathing. If the mysterious woman could successfully rouse Rogue from her coma there was every chance she could do the same for Jack, but Storm had to wonder if the damage caused would affect her mind in some way. 

Jack woke much calmer than Rogue, simply opening her eyes, rather than sitting up in shock. She sat up slowly and looked around, registering the faces that were surrounding her. As her eyes crossed Rogue she smirked.

"You were in my head," she croaked.

* * *

"You saved my life, Rogue," Jack said a little later. 

The two girls were sat in Rogue's room. They had just been examined by Hank, and were given some time to rest after being deemed healthy enough. Jack had miraculously suffered no brain damage and, though worn out, she was her usual self. Hank had said to her that she would never be able to use her power again or it would kill her. When she asked if he was certain he had admitted he thought she could probably use it one last time, but strongly recommended she didn't try it. Hank knew that it was very unlikely that Jack would listen to his advice. Once she got something into her mind it was impossible to stop her doing it.

"That's what friends are for," Rogue said with a small smile.

"Not many friends would risk their lives to help another," Jack said.

"I must just be a really good one," Rogue said, her smile growing to a grin.

"Can you be a really great friend one more time?" Jack asked, toying with her bracelets thoughtfully.

"What do you want?" Rogue asked.

Since that first croaky smile had faded at the sight of the two aliens, Jack had been entirely more serious. She had something on her mind. What it was, Rogue could only guess.

"There's something I have to do," Jack said, "I'll need to borrow some clean clothes, because I don't fancy walking around in this hospital gown, and I need you to cover for me if anyone comes in here asking after me. Tell them I'm in the bath or something."

"Sure," Rogue said, "But won't that psychic woman know if you go anywhere?"

They had been given strict instructions not to leave the room. Storm didn't want them wandering off anywhere or doing anything strenuous in case they hurt themselves in any way.

"She won't read my mind," Jack said, "She knows it isn't her place."

"Ok," Rogue said, handing Jack a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, jacket and pair of shoes, "Where are you going."

"I have some unfinished business to attend to," Jack said, slipping into the clothes, "There's something I need to do."

Silently she wandered over to the window and opened it. Rogue watched her begin to climb out but soon wandered back over to sit on her bed. Jack used the ivy and the trellis to climb down to the ground. She looked round and quickly sprinted across the field before anyone noticed, heading for the main gates.

* * *

Magneto stood on the beach, the sea breeze catching his tweed jacket. He was dressed down, understated, unnoticeable, as he stared up at the Statue of Liberty like any other tourist. But one person walking down the beach recognised him instantly. 

"When I came here," Magneto spoke as they approached him, "America was to be the land of tolerance and peace. My new home."

He turned to Jack who was stood beside him, wearing a pair of jeans and a jacket that looked more like Rogue's sense of style than her own, her hands in her pockets.

"It's a strange concept, isn't it, _home_," he pronounced the word like it was foreign, "Not always necessarily a physical place, but perhaps the presence of an object or a person… Home is where the heart is, they say, where is your heart, Jack?"

"Beating in my chest last I checked," Jack said.

Magneto chuckled.

"Home is where ever you are then? Or perhaps you have no home."

"Perhaps I don't," Jack said.

"Then how selfless of you to almost die defending a place you don't even consider to be home."

"Consider it payment for my board," Jack said, staring out into the sea.

"Why are we here, Jack?" Magneto asked after a moment's silence.

Psylocke had picked up on her thoughts, requesting his presence at the beach. Magneto had been intrigued. The last he knew the girl was as good as dead, now she was asking him to meet her somewhere with the temerity only she possessed.

"I have a favour to ask of you," Jack said.

"A favour?"

"One last one, for old time's sake," Jack said.

"And what favour would you ask of me?" Magneto asked.

"I want something retrieving," Jack said.

"And why not ask your precious X-men?"

Jack stopped staring out to sea and turned to him, her green eyes locking on his.

"We are not so dissimilar, you and I, Magneto. We have both seen suffering on a level that no one else could begin to comprehend; perhaps that is why I was drawn to you in the first place. I ask you because you understand."

Magneto smiled and nodded.

"What is it that you want?"

"Resting at the bottom of the ocean is an escape pod," Jack said, nodding out to sea, "I want it brought here so I can retrieve a few things from inside, then I want it destroyed."

"Destroyed," Magneto said with smirk, "Are you sure Dr. McCoy doesn't want to examine it first?"

"And now you see why I ask this of you," Jack said, "Because the X-men are builders, and they don't understand that sometimes things have to be destroyed."

When the deed was done, Magneto turned to Jack one last time.

"If we are so understanding of each other, why do you always go back to them?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Magneto, I would never go with you. We have both seen suffering, but the similarity ends there. We chose to deal with it in entirely different ways," Jack said.

Magneto nodded. He understood, just like she knew he would. Jack turned away and walked back down the beach the way she had come, her hair blowing in the wind, her hands still in her pockets.

Magneto watched her until she was little more than a speck in the distance, then returned to the hideout of his Brotherhood. The first thing he did when he got there was change back into his cape.

* * *

Jack slipped back through Rogue's window just at the right moment. She stashed her things under the bed as Rogue watched, curious but unquestioning. Content that her presence on this planet could do no further damage to its inhabitants, she was quite happy to discuss things with the two aliens who knocked on the door just moments later. 

_How are you feeling?_ The man asked in the language of their people.

To everyone else it sounded nothing like words, but like a melody played on an unusual instrument. Storm and Hank, who had decided to sit in on the meeting, were entranced by the beautiful sound, and not quite surprised, but still a little unnerved to hear it come out of Jack's mouth as well.

_Been better, but I'll live,_ Jack said.

_You know why we are here,_ the woman said.

_Of course,_ Jack said, _but how did you know I wasn't dead?_

_We didn't,_ the man admitted, _we just hoped._

_As soon as we got within range I could feel your presence,_ the woman said, _I was much relieved to feel you were alive, my lady._

_Don't call me that,_ Jack said with distaste, _I'm about as far from a lady as you can get!_

Rogue laughed at Jack's indignant expression. The woman looked over at her curiously, but turned back to Jack.

_Well, we are ready,_ the man said, _as soon as you want we'll take you home._

"What?" Rogue said, the smile falling from her face, "You can't do that!"

Storm and Hank both stared at Rogue, as did the man and the woman. Rogue felt a blush creeping up her cheeks as they looked at her with surprise.

"You understand that?" Storm asked.

"Yeah, shouldn't I?" Rogue asked. It had sounded just like English to her.

"It's because you absorbed me," Jack said, "That time in the park, and then King the other day. You've absorbed our language."

_I am sorry, child, but she has to return, _the woman said, addressing Rogue directly, _You've seen our planet, it needs a strong, kind ruler._

"But, but…" Rogue stammered.

"Someone has to go, Rogue, and there is no one else," Jack said.

_Well,_ the man said and Rogue, Jack and the woman all turned to him, _if the human girl has knowledge of our language and planet, and the ability to absorb another's powers, that means there are two people that qualify in this room._

_She's just a human girl, _Jack said, _she belongs here._

_Does she?_ The woman said,_ she doesn't look so human to me._

Rogue looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn't looking herself. Her body now matched that of Jack's and the man and the woman – thin and angular, but stronger than the average human. Her hearing had evolved, her eyesight declined. She was born a human, turned mutant, now was she something else altogether?

_In that case you have a choice to make,_ the man said, _one of you has to come back with us._

_We only have the space for one or we would take you both,_ the woman said.

"How can we possibly choose?" Rogue asked.

"There isn't a choice Rogue," Jack said, "You stay here where you belong, I'll go back where I belong. I'll miss you all, but it's the right thing to do."

"Is it?" Rogue asked, looking down at her gloved hand, "You can't use your power any more. What if someone challenged you? I'm the stronger."

"I can't even believe we are having this discussion," Jack said, "Tell her!" she said, turning to first Hank and Storm, then the man and the woman.

_We can have no part in this,_ the woman said, _this is a choice _you_ have to make. One of you must come, one must stay. We'll give you until morning to decide._

* * *

Just out of curiosity, I would like to know who you think should go. Leave me a review with your vote! It won't change my mind, as I've already written the final chapter, but I would love to know your opinion (and I hope it matches my choice lol!) 


	23. A Girl Called Rogue

Woo, last chapter! Finally finished this story :)

Hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'd love for you to leave me a review saying what you liked, what you didn't like, what could be improved so when I do the sequel it can be better!

* * *

Two girls stood on two beaches, watching two entirely different sunsets. A light breeze was blowing round both of them, tugging at their hair and clothes.

One brushed her hair back, tucking the white streak behind her ears, the only outward sign of her terrible power. Her gift, her curse. The other stood very still as her hair blew about her face. She had never cared much if it got messy. Both were thinking about the other, and everything they had left behind.

* * *

Storm stood with Hank, watching the sunset. 

"I'm still not doing any better," she said, "We've faced mutants, humans and now aliens, but for every battle I win, I lose one. For every student or teacher I gain, I lose another."

She looked round at her students and teachers, wondering who would be next in line. It was a dismal thought, but one she couldn't help thinking.

"You haven't lost her," Hank said, "She's just moved on, on to the next adventure. Kids do that, they've all got to leave home sometime."

"Maybe…" Storm said, turning her gaze to the sky.

* * *

The X-men had gathered on the beach to celebrate her life. A belated send off, to wish her well. She'd only known them for a short time, but that time was precious to them all. Kitty cried, Peter wrapping his strong arms round her shoulders, comforting her. 

"We shouldn't cry," Jimmy said, "She would have wanted us to be happy, that's why she made the choice she did."

"That's easy for you to say," Kitty said bitterly, "You're just a kid, you don't understand. You haven't lost someone you loved!"

"Hey, I loved her too!" Jimmy said, and it was true – she had always held a special place in his heart. They both had.

"Why did she have to go?" Kitty said to the stars.

"Are you saying you would rather it had been the other way round?" Jimmy challenged, angry that Kitty had effectively called him young and stupid.

"I never said that!" Kitty said angrily.

"It was going to be sad choice either way, but I think the kid is right," Logan said, stepping in before things could get out of hand, "She would have wanted you to be happy, and perhaps this way is for the best. Either way, there's no point arguing over it – she certainly wouldn't have wanted that."

* * *

"Bobby?" 

Bobby felt a hand slip into his. He turned round to face her.

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now," Jack said to him, taking his other hand, "But you should know, in the short time Rogue and I knew each other, we got to know each other pretty well, through various transference of powers, energy and blood. She made her choice because she wanted you to be happy, happy in a way you never could have been with her."

"I don't feel happy at all," Bobby said.

"Not now, no, but you will, one day," Jack said, "She set you free."

"This isn't what I wanted," Bobby said, holding back tears.

…

"_I know. It's what I want."_

…

* * *

"_Niagara Falls... up the Canadian Rockies, and then... it's only a few hundred miles to Anchorage."_

"_Won't it be kinda cold?"_

"_Well, that's the point, stupid, otherwise it wouldn't be an adventure!"_

She had got adventure alright. A whole new planet to explore – a place where her power could do some good. Her terrible power, the bane of her life, and now it let her make such a difference to these people. These people who needed a good, kind leader to bring them out of the poverty and hardship that had been destroying them for so long. And no one would ever question her authority, because she had one over everyone else on this planet. No matter how many powers a potential rival might absorb to try and take her throne, she could bring them down with a single touch.

Rogue, the guardian angel of the planet. Like a mother hen she would watch over her subjects, and like a ferocious lioness she would defend them.

She thought she would have been more lonely, but though she did miss them, all of them, especially Bobby, she had a very special way of keeping them in her mind.

* * *

"_The first boy I ever kissed ended up in a coma for three weeks. I can still feel him inside my head. It's the same with you."_

* * *

It had always been such a bad thing, to have all those thoughts that didn't belong to her running around her head. Now she welcomed the memories, the feel of their spirits, always with her. That way she never really left them behind. She just took with her all she had ever been able to have.

* * *

Jack had been surprised by her decision, not to mention how adamant she was about it. She also didn't trust her reasons. 

"Are you sure you're doing this for you, Rogue?" she asked sceptically.

Rogue knew what she was getting at. She had touched Warren, taken his power and with it a piece of his soul. Jack was clever enough to realise this meant she had a head full of his thoughts as well, thoughts about Jack and how much he would hate to lose her.

"I'm not doing this for me," Rogue said. Jack raised an eyebrow, "I'm doing it for Bobby."

* * *

Bobby Drake sat in his room, waiting for Rogue to come and tell him her decision. He had been told, along with all the other X-men, of the choice Jack and Rogue had to make. It was sad, but subconsciously he was waiting for Rogue to come and say it was ok, she was staying and Jack would be taking her rightful place back on the home she had left behind. He didn't imagine it would turn out any other way. 

"Bobby," Rogue said from the doorway.

He stood up and turned to face her. She stepped inside and clicked the door shut, sliding the lock across. The next thing Bobby knew she was in his arms, kissing him, and it didn't hurt.

"Jack's doing me one last favour," Rogue said, "Taking my power off me for a while."

She started unbuttoning Bobby's shirt.

"One last favour?" he asked, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Yeah," Rogue said.

"Before she goes?" Bobby already knew what the answer was. He didn't want to hear it, but in his heart he knew.

"No, before I go."

* * *

"You've got an hour and a half, maybe two," Jack said, "That's about as long as I can hold it for." 

If she only had one use of her power left in her, she was going to make the most of it, doing something for her best friend.

"That's long enough," Rogue said, hugging her best friend, being careful not to touch her skin.

_Long enough to say goodbye…_

* * *

Late in the evening, when the sun had finally dipped below the horizon, casting a glorious purple light across the beach, Warren wandered over to Jack. She was staring out into space at the rapidly darkening sky where the night's first stars were just starting to appear. 

He hadn't really spoken to her since before her fight with King, and as he found the nerve to walk over to her, he lost the words he had been hoping to say. In the end he said the only thing he could think of.

"Do you know the names of any stars?"

Jack turned round to him, smiling.

"Just one," she said, walking over to him and finding her way into his arms. He held her close, breathing the scent of her hair, enjoying the cool touch of her skin against his.

"And which one is that?"

"It's called Heaven," she said.

"I don't know that one," Warren said, "You'll have to point it out to me."

"It's right here," Jack said, tapping his chest with one of her slender fingers before closing her eyes and burying her head into him, her arms round his waist.

Warren stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, silently thanking Rogue for the wonderful gift she had given him.

* * *

"What are we going to do now?" Logan asked as he walked with Storm and Hank, "Back to normal, back to school?" 

"We still have a public to protect, should the need arise," Storm said, "Though I should imagine Magneto will be lying low for a while."

"How boring," Logan said, "I almost miss it when he's not attacking us every spare minute."

"Well," Storm said with a laugh, "I certainly don't! One of these days we'll all learn to get along."

"In the mean time," Hank said, "I've heard rumours of a class four mutant in England whose power is the ability to manipulate shadows. Perhaps we could take a look, as I can imagine it will only be so long before Magneto catches wind of it and makes a move himself. It would annoy him so if we beat him to it."

Storm laughed again, taking both their hands in hers as she walked back towards the jet with them.

"Perhaps we could," she said.

* * *

_The End_

* * *

When it comes to fighting, the problem isn't Good and Evil. Good and Evil are clear cut and predictable. It's the ones in between that cause problems, because you can never be too sure of what they are going to do…

**Nightshade, coming soon...**


End file.
